How to write the perfect Thank You card!

Here is a simple template to follow in order to write a thank you note that your guests will appreciate! Most thank you notes we write and receive in our lives lack personalization and/or sincerity. Be sure to put thought and time into each note you write to show appreciation for the thought and time that your guests put into picking out your gift.

Opener: depending on your relationship, your opener can range in formality.

                                Ex. “Dear Mr. & Mrs. Smith”, or “Hi Sarah,”

  Express Thanks: In this section be sure to include specifically what this guest gave you.

Ex. “Thank you so much for the beautiful blue serving platter! We cannot wait to use it when we entertain this summer!”

Personalize the Note: Include a personal note about which event your guests attended or how grateful you are for their years of friendship. A thank you note can be about more than just the physical item they gave you.

Ex. “We were so happy you both could attend our wedding and we cannot wait to have your family come and visit us at our new home!”

Sign Off: match this to the formality of your opener.

                                Ex. “With Gratitude,” or “All Our Love”

Including a personal touch and sending your thank you notes out to your guests in a timely manner will ensure they feel appreciated!

Keep your Wedding Easy & your Guests Happy

During your 20s and 30s you will attend A LOT of weddings. Some will be wild and crazy, some will require travel and some will be unnecessarily complicated. Here are 5 tips to ensure your wedding is easy for your guests to enjoy!

1. Pick a Convenient Date and Time: Although the price point is appealing for a Tuesday night wedding, no one wants to go to that! Keep your wedding on the weekend; Friday, Saturday or even Sunday if you are looking to save money. Scheduling your wedding in the middle of the week will make it hard for guests to attend and will result in a very little 'yes' RSVPs.

2. Include the Location on your Save the Date: This is especially important for a destination wedding! In additional to saving the date, guests will want to make travel plans as early as possible to save money. If you wait until your invites go out to announce the location of your wedding some guests may not be able to make travel arrangements in time.

3. Provide Directions and Lodging Information on the Invitation: Don't make your guests work for your wedding! Provide some type of directions, or the address of the venue at the very least on the invitation. It is also helpful to include nearby lodging options to help out of town guests who are unfamiliar with the area. 

4. Have a Substantial Registry: Have a registry big enough for your guest list and make it easy to find. Guests want to pick out a gift that they know you want and will enjoy so give them that option by creating a good and accessible registry. 

5. Have a Wedding Website: Wedding websites are a great way to get all your information out to your guest; and most of them are free! Include the link on your save the date and invitation so that your guests can learn more about you, the couple, and your upcoming wedding. 

The key is to make everything easy for your guests! The easier the process of being a guest is for them, the more they will be able to enjoy your wedding. 

How to Behave when Shopping for your Wedding Dress

Shopping for your wedding dress is one of the most exciting parts of being engaged! Keep it classy and don’t embarrass yourself by following these 4 etiquette tips.

1.   1. Make an Appointment – all bridal salons either require or strongly recommend having an appointment before coming in. This will create the best experience for you as well as allow the salon to be best prepared to serve every bride that walks in their door. If you don’t have an appointment, do not expect the salon to squeeze you in as a walk-in.

2.   2. Don’t Bring a Huge Entourage – Deciding on who to bring with you can almost be harder than deicing on a dress! But remember, this decision is all about you and in order to keep from getting overwhelmed keep your entourage small. This is also out of respect for the bridal salon and other brides with appointments that day. A large and loud crowd only distracts from all the brides in the salon.

3.   3. Leave the Snacks at Home – You are entering an all-white, dry clean only zone! Leave all snacks and drinks, especially coffee at home! If you’ve picked a good salon, your consultant will offer you champagne during your appointment which, is better than coffee anyways!

4.   4. Don’t Try Dresses without Intention – Don’t waste your time, your entourages’ time or your consultant’s time by making an appointment with no intention of buying a dress. Bridal salons are not for dress up.