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

If you are anything like me, you are a sucker for makeup. I can barely walk by a Sephora without asking about their sales or specials. Unfortunately, make up has never been one of the cheapest purchases- until now! I am pleased to introduce you to ELF, also known as Eyes Lips Face. Their website, www.eyeslipsface.com, offers everything (and I do mean everything!) in the book. From brushes to balms to bronzers, you can find it here! And the best part? You can find just about any item for one dollar! They do have certain products that cost a little bit more, but for the most part, I can get everything I need for my face for under ten dollars. Talk about excitement!

Skeptical of the value of the actual product? I was, too, but after testing out some of the goods, I was pleasantly surprised. Don’t get me wrong, nothing can beat my favorite makeup brands, but ELF was just as good (if not better) than any drugstore brand I’ve ever used.

BONUS! If you google ‘ELF Coupons,’ you can find tons of discount codes that you can use when you checkout, making your inexpensive purchase even more so!

Next time you get the urge to go on a makeup shopping spree, keep ELF in mind! What have you got to lose… besides a few George Washingtons?

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.

Love, A Bridal Boutique, is hosting a trunk show this week!

Legends by Romona Keveza Trunk Show
January 22-23, 2010

Appointments are required, call (904) 242-9800.

Love, A Bridal Boutique434 3rd Street North
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250