"We have been having a lot of fun with the website. It is so nice to be able to share our itinerary, logistical information about staying in San Francisco and fun photos with both sides of our families (in Boston and Seattle) and friends. I think the website is a terrific idea - especially for those couples that have folks traveling for their weddings."
Countdown the days left to your wedding! Your wedding countdown appears on the Home Page of your wedding website and counts down to the day, hour, minute and second. And, after your wedding it will count the number of days you have been married!
Today, we begin a Cost-Effective Bride series that I am very excited about, "Weddings with Heart". In the next five issues of the Cost-Effective Bride, I will be talking about ways in which you can make your wedding a wedding with heart, by donating to charities, being environmentally friendly, or getting your friends and family involved in your passion.
Here is a list of the articles you will see in the coming weeks:
Today,March 22nd, Intro to Series - "Weddings with Heart"
Monday,April 5th, "Involving Your Guests" - Getting your friends and family involved in something you are passionate about via your wedding.
Monday, April 19th, 2004; "Eco-Friendly Weddings" - Ideas on how you can make your wedding environmentally friendly.
Monday, May 3rd, 2004; "Registering for Charity" - How to use your registry as a way to donate money to your favorite charity.
Monday, May 17th, 2004; "Volunteer Honeymoon" - Go on a honeymoon and help people out! Ideas and organizations to help you plan your honeymoon around volunteering.
(Monday, May 31st, 2004 there will be no Cost-Effective Bride due to Memorial Day.)
To get you started, here are some simple ways to give your wedding more heart:
Purchase invitations that use recycled or recyclable paper. ReThink Paper is a great website that will help you to learn more about what type of paper you should be looking for. Or, if you are hiring a stationer, be sure to ask them to see their catalog of tree-free invitations. And, if they don't have any, check out another stationer!
Wear your mother or friend's veil (or even wedding dress!). Not only will it be meaningful to wear the same veil as your mother or friend did, but it is a form of recycling to not purchase another veil that will just hang in your closet for the next 50 years. Plus, there's the added bonus that you'll save a lot of money!
If your caterer or reception hall is known for their large portions, ask them to cut back a little for your wedding. "Doggie bags" are not allowed at most weddings (due to state laws), so uneaten food on your guest's plates is thrown out. Your caterer or reception hall may give you a discount, but even if they don't, in this case, less is more. More food that is not wasted!
In a similar vein, find out if food that goes uneaten can be donated to a soup kitchen or shelter for single moms. This is a great way for no food to go wasted and has the benefit of allowing some deserving people to have a terrific meal. If the organization knows about it ahead of time, they may even be able to arrange for a fun evening centered around the fancy meals they will be receiving. If you are allowed to do this, be sure to find a volunteer to coordinate any transportation or organizing needed for the evening of the wedding (though, the organization you are donating to may be willing to handle this for you!).
Take your ceremony flowers and decorations to a nursing home. The staff and guests of the nursing home will certainly appreciate having such beautiful decorations to liven up their living quarters.
These were just some simple ideas on using your wedding to show your heart. I am sure you can think of some more on your own, and watch for our upcoming articles to help you out as well!
