Your wedding invitation is the first impression your guests will receive and sets the tone for your wedding!  After you’ve spent hours choosing just the right design and wording, don’t spoil it buy having less-than-impressive envelopes!

• Consult an etiquette book for proper addressing structure.
• Invitations should always be hand-addressed.
• Consider numbering your guest list and put the same number on the back of the response card; this way, if someone doesn’t write their name on the card you will know whose it is!
• Invitations should be mailed out six to eight weeks before the wedding.

Don’t underestimate the value of calligraphy!  If you choose to hire a calligrapher, consider these tips:

• Be sure to book your calligrapher as soon as possible, as many of the best book up far in advance.
• Include extra envelopes, just in case of a mistake, ink blot, etc.
• Give your calligrapher a typed list to ensure all names are spelled correctly.  Include the formal names for the outer envelope, and the less formal names for the inner envelopes.
• Also ask your calligrapher about creating escort cards, seating charts, and other wedding accessories.

For more calligraphy and addressing advice, check out our friend Cami Franklin’s website! She is one of the top calligraphers in North Florida and is extremely knowledgeable.

Photo from the The Personal Touch, Calligraphy By Cami blog

Coming up on Sunday, the world’s longest-married couple will answer relationship questions via Twitter!  You have until Friday, February 12th to submit questions to @LongestMarried, and 14 questions will be chosen and answered on Valentine’s Day.

Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher were married in 1924.  According to Mashable.com, “The couple, who enjoy hanging on their front porch, watching trains pass by, counting cars and talking to their neighbors, are apparently the model of wedded bliss. They each have their own bedroom — so Herbert can stay up late watching baseball. Well, I guess distance does makes the heart grow fonder.”

To read more about Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, check out this article on the AARP website recognizing their Guinness World Record.

The first dance is a special way to represent the bride’s and groom’s new relationship.  However, having 100 pairs of eyes staring at you as sway on the dance floor may more than a bit nerve-wracking.  Here are some tips to ease the stress:

• Don’t dance to the whole song; ask your band or DJ to play only 2 minutes of the song.
• Schedule at least one professional dance lesson so that you are comfortable dancing together.  Learn how to lead and follow, which foot to step with first, and other basics.
• Start practicing a few months before the wedding (not the week of the wedding!).
• Make sure your band or DJ has the same version of the song that you have been practicing with.  If  there is any doubt, give them a copy of the CD.
• If you plan to choreograph your dance, be sure to keep your wedding dress in mind.  There may be a lot of added weight and fabric for your new husband to dance around!

• When you are looking at locations and packages, be sure that the total includes airfare.  Tickets for air travel can easily add $1,000 or more to your total price, depending on your destination.
• Hire a local wedding planner to avoid problems.  Check with the Association of Bridal Consultants for members in your wedding destination.
• Find out when the off-season is in your destination.  There can be significant savings on flights and hotels during non-peak times.
• Don’t shop for a “wedding” dress.  Look at evening gowns in a department store for great alternatives.

We are often asked how to include both your mom and your future mother-in-law in your wedding plans.  Here are some fun and easy tips:

• If both moms live close by, or will be in town at the same time, plan a girls’ shopping day.  Have lunch at a nice bistro, then shop for both moms’ wedding attire.
• Include both in wedding plans by asking if there are cultural or family traditions that should be added to the ceremony or reception
• Ask your mom for “something old” and his mom for “something borrowed” for the wedding day.  This is another great way to include family heirlooms!

One often-overlooked wedding item is flooring.  Whether you need to rent a dance floor or build an entire “room” using a tent, here are some things to think about:

• If you are putting a dance floor on grass or another uneven surface, you will need a plywood sub-floor underneath it.  Be sure to ask your rental company to include this in their quote, because it will affect your price!
• If you are laying a dance floor on a smooth, uneven surface (such as stone), you may need carpet underneath to keep it from moving around.
• Tent flooring can make any surface level! Work closely with your rental or event design company to design a space that works for you.
• Ask you venue about any special requirements well in advance, preferably before signing a contract.

Your first instinct may be to pick a date.  It’s not a bad place to start, but there are lots of factors that can affect that date.

Some couples have a special date that is significant to their relationship, and nothing is more important than that date. These couples may need to be a little more flexible on location, budget, or guest list.  For others, they simply must have 350 people on their guest list – here in Jacksonville, that means that their venue options are a bit limited.  If an oceanfront wedding is most important, the couple may want to think about a Friday or Sunday wedding if they choose a popular venue.

So where do you start?  Try setting your priorities by numbering these items from 1 (most important) to 10 (least important):

Once you have a list of your priorities, you can look at your budget and decide how much to spend in each area based on its rank.