Calligraphy grants importance to your invited guests. When guests receive their envelopes hand lettered in calligraphy, it stands out amongst a sea of bills, and is becomes a paper treasure along with your invitation, something that will be kept and not thrown out. You will find calligraphy will most definitely set the tone for your wedding.

After investing all that money in beautiful invitations, the use of calligraphy for addressing your envelopes completes your investment.

Decide if you want your addresses to be written out formally or informally.

To save time for your calligrapher, it is best to compile your guest list, alphabetically, for quick easy referral. This will assist both you and your calligrapher to address any questions either of you may have or if any of those last minute changes are required while your calligrapher addresses your envelopes. As an option you can also number your guest list for easy referral.

Nothing is abreviated when addressing envelopes in calligraphy. Be sure all information is provided. This includes Roads, Streets, Drives, Crescents, Rural Routes, etc.

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Authored by Diane Iannuzziello for Calligraphy by Diane.

A world class calligrapher of extraordinary talent, Diane Iannuzziello, with Calligraphy by Diane, has the ability to write in any lettering style and in any language.  Diane’s level of perfectionism and insistence that all her work far exceed expectations, has made her the most sought-after calligrapher.  Diane looks forward to servicing you for your very special wedding day.

Unity Candles have been the rage for decades.  Now, the newest idea for Unity Candles is a Personal Unity Candle. Use your engagement picture or other favorite picture and include your Wedding Invitation inscribed on the “backside” as the Ultimate Unity Candle.

The personalized candleglass can be used in Weddings in various ways:

1. Wedding Invitation - Just think of it…instead of opening an envelope… have your picture and your wedding invitation imaged on the candleglass. Now everyone has a keepsake from your wedding.
2. Photo Unity Candle - what better way to display two individuals or families coming together as one.
3. Wedding Table Centerpieces - It is YOUR special day.  Why not use your special pictures on a candleglass for your table centerpieces.  What a statement.  Mix or match designs.

Think of the candleglass as an artist’s canvas.  You can take a personal hand in designing your own special and unique Candleglass.  Talk about a personalized wedding!

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Authored By: Forgetmenot Candleglass.  It was spawned from circumstances revolving around downsizing.  How many people have learned to hate that word?  In my case, it turned out to be a blessing.  I am an engineer. I developed a technology that allows us to image digital pictures on candleglass to display pictures in a new and unique way.

You simply select a design, enter your order information, send us your pictures via e-mail and we do the rest.  YOUR Photo Candleglass is sent in about a week.

Do I really need to send out Save the Date Cards? If so, how early do I send them out? What is the purpose of sending out Save the Date Cards?

Save the Date Cards announce to all your family and friends the date of your wedding and simply ask them to reserve that day especially for you. They can be very useful for guests that will be having to travel long distances to attend the wedding. If someone is coming from out of the country, making needed arrangements early can save them a great deal of money on their traveling expenses. Also Save the Date Cards can be very helpful for a destination wedding. Giving early notice to all who plan to attend gives them the opportunity to request vacation from their employer and helps them save them a substantial amount of money on their travel expenses.

In order to give your guests plenty of notice Save the Date Cards should be mailed out a minimum of 4-6 months before your wedding date and as long as 12-15 months in advance if you will have many guests traveling from afar. This will allow your guests ample time to make all the necessary travel arrangements so that they will be able to attend your special event.

Save the Date Cards are not meant to be formal. The main purpose is just to let your family and friends know the actual date of the wedding so that they can plan ahead. There are many styles to choose from. When deciding on a Save the Date Card, you may want to try and match your wedding invitations. Save the date cards are mostly used as card stock or magnets and they are normally post card size. You can add a picture of you and your fiancé, or embellishments that are sure to add a personal touch. Most brides prefer the Save the Date Magnets because your guests can put it on their refrigerator and it serves as a constant reminder.

Here are some guidelines for what is needed on the card or magnet: both the bride and grooms name, the wedding date and location of the wedding. You can feel free to add any other information you feel will assist your guest in making their plans. You will also want to include the wording “invitation to follow” so that your guests will know that an official wedding invitation with more specific information will be mailed to them at a later date.

It is also recommended that you include other helpful information with your Save the Date Card such as airline, car rental and hotel information that will make things easier on your guests. They may also be interested in other special events or attractions in your area. If possible also try to acquire group discount rates for your guests by calling specialty companies and seeing if they do offer group discounts. It is customary for most vendors to set up a group code or use your last name for booking purposes. You can provide this information and any other group information when you mail your Save The Date cards!!

Have a great time planning for your special day!

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Authored by Jeff Fain from Dependable Printing.

Please visit Dependable Printing for a great selection of wedding invitations, shower invitations, party invitations, save the date card & magnets and much more.

When booking a DJ, watch out for the prideful, “full of himself” DJ, that has a name like “Jammin Joe”, or the quiet DJ who thinks his job is just to just play music. Your Typical Wedding DJ tends to fall in one of two extremes. Many high end DJs, are very “flashy”, or “showy” and love to be the center of attention, hear themselves talk, and have this attitude “how glorious am I”. On the other extreme you have many of your low end DJs, who camp out behind their messy equipment and don’t give any direction or leadership. A DJ has to be a leader, one who is comfortable, making announcements, and guiding your guests, as well as all the vendors you have working for you, communicating with them, so that they know what is happening. Our DJs are in the middle of those two extremes. The first two hours before dinner and during dinner we are formal and elegant, When you make your grand entrance, you will hear an introduction that will get your guests excited when you walk in. We say what we need to say, but also know when to shut up. The last half of the reception (the dancing part), we are interactive and are very good at getting people on the dance floor.

A big ego is the last thing a DJ needs, but unfortunately a common trait. Many of them will have some hyped up name that they go by. All of our four DJs are here to serve you, so they don’t need an alter ego stage name, because it’s not about them, it’s about you, the Bride and Groom, and your guests. You are the boss and we will do what you want, but we will also advise you from our years of experience; however the final decision is always yours. As a wedding DJ you are trying to please a wide range of ages and ethnic groups, and someone may not like something you are playing, but you have to put your pride aside and be polite and courteous at all times.

Although getting people on the dance floor is important, a good high end Wedding DJ has to be a good coordinator as well. The DJ is the center of communication at a reception that your Caterer, Photographer, and Videographer will have to communicate with. Your DJ can negatively affect your pictures or video by not giving them adequate notice so that they can properly prepare their cameras for an event. They often negatively affect the flow of the reception by not communicating with the caterer about the toasts and cake cutting.

The DJ who will make your wedding reception a big success is one who is friendly, flexible, and knows how to use his experience, with a great sense of timing to pull the potential out of any crowd regardless of age or ethnic group. We hope this helps you, because whether you use us or a good DJ from another company, the better your DJ, the better your Video and Photography will come out, as well as having a fun, yet organized reception. The DJ will make or break it.

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Authored By Randy Markham
Randy Markham is the owner of Celebrations of Tampa Bay. He started the business in 1991, after serving as a sound technician in a local contemporary church. People started asking him to provide music for wedding, and one thing lead to another, and today Celebrations of Tampa Bay employs 20 people including Photographers, Videographers, and DJs.

The site will be down for about 30 minutes today at 9:00am EST as we perform some scheduled maintenance on our servers. During this time only wedding websites will be down.  Wedding vendors, the online shop, and our blog will still be online.

UPDATE - the maintenance is now complete.

72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment.

Almost 100% say they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment.

During wedding planning, Brides say their highest priority is their attire, followed by the reception site and caterer - reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities. Within one week after their reception, 78% of Brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!

When asked 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment.

65% of all couples that chose a band to entertain at their wedding said, if they had it to do over again, they would have chosen a disc jockey.

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Tracy Painter owns Entertainment Tonite disc jockey service. He has been working with area couples for over 20 years helping them plan their wedding reception entertainment. At Entertainment Tonite, in Pittsburgh, our DJs will work with you to help you plan a perfect wedding reception. Give us a call today at 412-672-4899.

Have the last several wedding invitations you’ve received been rather non-descript and uninteresting? Shades of white, ivory, and cream with embossed lettering aren’t always enough to bring out the personality of the bride and groom to be. If the traditional, white wedding invitation just doesn’t get you excited, here are some tips to add some style to your wedding stationery.

Add Texture
One of the latest trends in wedding stationery has been to add a small bow to each invitation. Find some ribbon in your wedding colors, punch a hole in the corner of your invite, and presto, you’ve got something with some style. Ribbons aren’t the only way to add texture to a wedding invitation. Add glitter, beads, or small stones to make a more funky invitation, or even glue on small seashells for a beach-themed wedding. The possibilities are endless here, although you want to make sure your wedding invitations don’t end up looking like a kindergarten art project. If not so art savvy yourself, why not ask some artsy gal pals to help you jazz up your stationery? You can check out the scrapbooking aisles at arts and crafts stores for ideas as well.

Add a Photo
Has your mom insisted that you invite all those second cousins and great aunts that you barely know? Help them remember who you are, and give other guests a sneak preview of your fiancé, by putting a personalized photo in your wedding invitation. There is no hard and fast rule that wedding invitations need to be formal and white. Do you both love roller-skating? Take a cute photo of you two holding hands at the roller rink. If you’re both comedians at heart, take a funny photo of you two colliding at the roller rink! Use a silly caption like, “Watch two lives come together on December 4th!” to make your guests smile. Photo-based wedding invitations can have a serious or casual look, and this will help you set the tone for your wedding.

Add an Ethnic Touch
Get in touch with your roots by adding some ethnic flair to your wedding invitation. Are you and your fiancé from different cultural background? Why not have bilingual invitations? Some couples have really intrigued their guests by sending them invites in different languages. For example, a Chinese bride and American groom could send Chinese invitations to the Americans, and English invitations to the Chinese guests! Of course this might leave guests bewildered at first, but if you put essential information like the date, place, and time in both languages, this ploy could really pique guests’ interest. So you’ve always loved Hollywood movies? Choose exquisite Indian scroll invitations to make the announcement of your wedding equal to a royal proclamation. Have your stationery outlined with beautiful Arabic calligraphy for a Middle Eastern wedding.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try several different options. Make a few samples and ask your bridesmaids which sample wedding invitation really shows your personality and wedding style. Don’t hesitate to think outside the box and come up with something truly unique!

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Authored by Heather Carreiro for Dependable Printing. Please visit Dependable Printing for a great selection of wedding invitations, shower invitations, party invitations, and much more.

The Wedding Day! You spend months and thousands of dollars planning it: choosing the perfect theme and colors, the perfect wedding dress and shoes, the perfect venue, the perfect menu… the list goes on, not mentioning the preselected perfect groom who must at least look perfect for the day. His best men are the lost cause and you just hope for the best.

With all the gargantuan efforts that you put into this production that will fly by like one moment, what do you still have years after? I mean besides your husband?

You have your great memories of that perfect day and your photos. Especially today, when wedding photography has gone journalistic style and you can relive that perfect day in all its excitement. That, of course, if the photos turn out well.

This rarely happens and you can’t always blame your wedding photographer because things like unfavorable angle shots, smudged makeup, bunched up clothing, squinting eyes, ominous shadows, glare on eyeglasses can and do occur.

The truth is that all photos need some correction. And luckily these days photo retouching is quite affordable and easily accessable through a number of online services that will charge you about $5 or less per photo. Skilled professionals will do complete cosmetic retouching that includes fixing your hair and makeup, removing the appearance of any skin imperfections or double chins, or swipe the perspiration from the groom’s forehead. For a little bit extra they’ll slim you down, adjust your wedding dress or “open” squinting eyes. They can even remove any annoying objects or your sister’s ex-boyfriend from the picture.

They’ll keep your memories of that day perfect. After all, this is how you remember it.

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Authored by PhotoHand.

PhotoHand will retouch your wedding photos at the starting fee of $3.50/photo for complete cosmetic retouching. Also, on offer there are custom-designed save-the-date cards and wedding invitations and wedding photo books from your photo material. With professional photo retouching, skillful cropping and art effects, your book becomes an outstanding memorable piece.

Many couples appreciate wedding gifts that provide messages of faith and inspiration. Every couple will go through periods of trial and struggle. Imagine if your gift of a plaque that says “Hope looks up” or “Faith is belief in something better” is one that provides encouragement when a spouse is ill or loses a job or when a child is injured. Couples who attend religious services often appreciate a symbol of their faith–a crucifix, cross, menorah, or statue that has meaning can make a house a warmer place for a believing couple. When considering wedding gifts, why not add an inspirational plaque, painting, or desk stand to the package? Long after the applicance you gave wears out, the inspiration may continue to provide warmth and comfort.

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Authored by Madeline Pecora Nugent, a buyer for the Good Shepherd Gift Shop which sells religious, inspirational, and other gifts at 164 Broadway, Newport RI USA. Madeline is a published author of seven books including Anthony: Words of Fire, Life of Light; Clare and Her Sisters: Lovers of the Poor Christ: Love-Ability: How to Become Loveable by Caring for Yourself and Others; The Divine Office for Dodos; and My Child, My Gift: A Positive Response to Serious Prenatal Diagnosis.

Your ceremony is the heart and soul of your wedding and will likely be the most personal memory of this special day. So choosing an officiant is more critical than most people realize. Many couples, especially those who do not have a regular place of worship, plan in advance for everything but the wedding officiant! Personal referrals can give you a sense of security but make sure the officiant meets your individual needs and requirements. There are many things to consider:

The Officiant

If at all possible, meet personally with the officiant to make sure you are comfortable in their presence. It helps to discuss in advance what you are looking for as a couple so you are prepared to ask questions about everything that is important to you. Are they available for your wedding date and can you imagine them presiding over your special day? Do you like their voice and will it carry? What will they wear? Do they appear to be sensitive and flexible in relating to you? Do you sense they can collaborate with other

wedding professionals to make your day joyful and elegant? Remember that your officiant should be able to reflect your values, beliefs and the meaningful aspects that are unique and special about your relationship.

Pre-Marital Education

Does the officiant require your participation in pre-marital education or counseling? If not, are you interested in participating? Even when not required, pre-marital education is an excellent investment in your future. Learning more about each other’s strengths and weaknesses and gaining enhanced communication/conflict resolution skills ensures the best possible foundation for a happy marriage.

The Ceremony and Vows

Will the officiant work with you to develop a special ceremony which honors you as a couple? Can you use contemporary readings or are religious or scriptural readings required? Can you write your own vows or add special touches? Your ceremony should be an authentic expression of who you are as individuals and as a couple. For the most personal and unique wedding ceremony, your officiant should act as a guide and co-creator (not a director).

Location

Do you want to be married in a church, on the beach, or at some other special location? Is your officiant registered in the state or country where you plan to be married? Do special location arrangements need to be made and who will make them?

Fees and Other Considerations

Fees vary depending on services and travel requirements. Do you want the officiant only at the wedding ceremony or will you require them to be present at a rehearsal? Do you want to invite them to the rehearsal dinner and/or the dinner/reception after your wedding? Don’t assume anything without asking about each of these possibilities and receiving clear answers from your officiant.

Finally, do you believe your wedding officiant will act as a trusted advisor capable of meeting your needs through listening and encouragement, linking you to other resources, or providing direction if desired? This is your day – choosing the right wedding officiant will create a special memory for years to come.

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Jacqueline Soares, a wedding officiant located in Huntington Beach CA. Has assisted dozens of couples from the design of their wedding ceremony to perfoming their ceremony on the their big day.