Essence of Events, LLC

Saying no to children

This is your wedding and if it is formal, you are not obligated to have children in attendance.

The invitation should be addressed to Mr. and Mrs., not Mr. and Mrs. and Family. If your

friend inquires, let her know that as much as you love her children, this is an adult affair.

Besides, your friend will have a whole lot more fun without having to deal with her kids.

Another idea is have the kids come to the ceremony and then get a room and a babysitter

with some movies and games to entertain the children while the adults have fun at the

reception.

How far is too far?

How far does a guest need to travel to be considered an out of-of-towner, and do they

receive a special gift? If the guest will not sleeping in their own bed, they are an out of town guest.

A gift is not mandatory, but is a lovely gesture welcoming them to your

wedding and thanking them for travelling to be a part of your celebration.

Returning gifts

If you decide to return a gift, send a gracious note thanking the giver and letting them know

you've exchanged it for something you really love.

For example: “Thank you so much for the lovely waffle iron. You know how much we always

enjoy making Sunday brunch at home. To our surprise, we received two of them, so we

fortunately managed to exchange your thoughtful gift for a juicer, which we expect to use

frequently. Can't wait to have you over to enjoy brunch with us soon.”

However, it is impolite to ask a person who has sent you a gift where they bought the item

because you want to return it. If you are not able to return the gift on your own, it's better

to write a courteous thank you note, tuck the gift away for later, and use it when the friends

who sent it to you come to your home.

Who is invited to the rehearsal dinner?

The general rule of thumb is that the groom's family hosts the rehearsal dinner, not only for

the wedding party but for all the out of town guests. These people have traveled from far

and wide, are paying for hotel accommodation, etc., so it would be a gracious gesture on

your behalf to welcome them. There are a few options if you are budget conscious and there are a lot

of out of town guests. The first is to have a casual buffet or cocktail reception instead of a seated

dinner. Or another option is, host the dinner for the wedding party and invite the rest of the guests to join

after for dessert and cocktails.

Bridesmaid dresses

Tradition says that the bride or her family covers these expenses. It's still a wonderful

gesture if you can afford to buy these items, particularly if your friends are already planning

to splurge on travel expenses to attend your wedding.

However, if your budget doesn't allow you to purchase the bridesmaids' dresses, it is

acceptable to ask them to pay for their own attire so long as you keep the cost within a

reasonable budget (theirs, not yours).

If you expect them to pay, it's also crucial that you choose something the women can wear

again, perhaps a simple, classic cocktail dress (let's be honest, nobody is going to wear that

frilly, peach prom dress style anywhere but a costume party). Another option is to offer to

split the cost with your friends or to buy the accessories such as shoes and/or jewelry.

Tossing the bouquet

You want to preserve your bouquet as a keepsake, not toss it and have it trashed by

screaming single ladies, so ask your florist to create a smaller “tossing bouquet” that

resembles your bridal bouquet. The tossing bouquet should be placed on the cake table to

enable you to find it easily. It can resemble the style of your bouquet, only slightly smaller.

For more wedding advice, tips and tricks, and to get all your questions answered, make

sure to contact Essence of Events to set up your free, initial consultation today. Call

253.292.1482 or email us at contact@essenceofevents.com

Written by Samantha Macrae