5 Rules NOT To Break

1. Make sure there's no more than an hour of downtime between the cermony's end and the start of the reception. It's not nice to force out-of-towners to kill the better part of an afternoon just wating around.


2. Keep guests in the loop. That means having the DJ or emcee explain anything that's unusual, such as the fact that you and your dad are shooting hoops at the reception instead of having a first dance.


3. Be hosts. Greet all of your guests, even if you don't know some of them, either on a receiving line or by going table-to-table. And don't ask anyone to pay for anything. Cash bars are TACKY!!


4. Throw a wedding, not a business conference. Avoid long speeches, longer slideshows, and anything that smacks of sponsorship ("Flowers provided by Florals by Adrienne"). Your guests are there to have fun.


5. Make your guests comfort your priority. Inviting an elderly aunt? Don't make her scale a small alp to get to the ceremony. Tying the knot at a farm? Let guests know that they should leave the heels and ties at home. And make sure there's plenty of food and drink.

10 Ways a Wedding Consultant Can Help

1. Listening to your ideas, then suggesting what works for your style and budget.


2. Helping out with just one or two specific tasks, if that's all you need-such as scouting reception sites, tracking invitations, or finding a minister.


3. Recommending vendors (florists, bakers, caterers) who will serve your needs best.


4. Acting as the contact person between you and all vendors, from the contract signing to the I do's.


5. Getting great deals from vendors with whom she regularly works. Her relationships may mean price breaks.


6. Overseeing your wedding day. She'll manage the timeline, make sure every detail is in place (the tent is up, the favors are distributed), and handle emergencies (the limo is MIA!) so you can relax.


7. Carrying an emergency kit with safety pins, aspirin, and water.


8. Mediating if things get tense between you and your mom or a vendor.


9. Helping you get your legal docs (birth certificate, marriage license) in order.


10. Arranging a ride to take you to your wedding-night hotel or the airport.

Reception Table Naming

Get creative and try naming your reception tables instead of simply numbering the tables. If your wedding has a theme, try incorporating your theme into the table names. If you're having a fall wedding you could name each of the tables a different type of tree and use the specific tree leaf as a motif on the table card. One bride recently named her tables after the couple's top 10 date spots. If you and your fiance are avid readers, you might name your tables after your favorite books or authors.

Invitation Timeline

12 Months Before: Mail save-the-date cards if you're having a destination wedding, are marrying over a holiday, or are inviting a lot of out-of-town guests.

6 Months Before: After choosing a wedding style and budget, shop for invites. Order paper samples or review stock with your stationer.

5 Months Before: If you'll be commissioning a custom ivitation or details, such as a monogram or stamp, start the process now.

4 Months Before: Now's the time to order labor-intensive invitations. Those would be invitations that are letterpress or engraved. Allow time for printing and delivery. If you are a DIY bride, start now.

3 Months Before: If you're ordering invites with a quick turnaround time, do so now. Allow time for printing, delivery, and proofreading.

2 Months Before: Start addressing envelopes or get them to your calligrapher. If you're using a calligrapher, remember 150 envelopes normally takes about two weeks. Assemble and weigh one complete invitation to figure the correct postage. Mail your invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding date.

1 Month Before: Your RSVPs should start arriving three to four weeks before the wedding. A few days after the RSVP date has passed call anyone who hasn't sent in a response.

Color Trend

The hot new color trend is Purple and Chocolate. Deep chocolate brown is being called the new black. Paired with deep, vibrant purple this combination is a knockout for a late summer wedding. Bronze is brilliant neutral that plays well with the power shades.

3-D Flowers

Bold blooms are hot, hot, hot! 3-D flowers are seen on ball gowns, bags, shoes and jewelry. If you are a romantic bride, these buds are for you!

Inspiring iPhone Apps

• 23,000 Great Quotes ($.99) Perfect for vow-writing, this app has thousands of quotations, all searchable by keyword. (Try love or marriage.)



• Flowerpedia ($4.99) Before you visit the florist, flick through the endless galleries of brilliant blooms.



• Color Expert ($9.99) Use the interactive color wheel to pick your party's palette--or pull your wedding hues from a favorite photograph.