wedding planning

Cute as a button and totally endearing, the flower girl you choose will add an extra pint-sized sweetness to your big day. Although she is the smallest member of your bridal party, her important role within the ceremony is anything but tiny. If you’re not sure where to start when choosing a flower girl, keep reading! We’ve put together a list of everything you need to know about choosing your flower girl. 

The Flower Girl’s Age

Most brides usually choose a flower girl between the ages of 3 and 7 years old. Is this a rule? Absolutely not – it is your wedding! If you choose to have a young child that is not walking yet as your flower girl, consider having her ride along in a cart or wagon while being pulled by an older child. If you choose to include older children in your bridal party, give them the title of junior bridesmaid instead! 

How Many Flower Girls?

Do you have a couple of cute little girls that you just adore? Ask them both! The power of the buddy system will be in your favor here. They will walk down the aisle side-by-side scattering flower petals, confetti, or blowing bubbles. Your guests will love it. Most brides choose to limit the number of flower girls to one or two.

The Flower Girl Attire

Some people like to have their flower girl in a white dress like the bride, whereas others choose to match her to the wedding party. The bride will have the final say on the flower girl’s accessories and dress, but work together with her parents to ensure everyone is happy. Choose a few different dresses that you love and allow the parents to make the final choice. Keep in mind that kids grow pretty quickly, so if you’re buying your dress far in advance, consider sizing up a bit to account for growth.

Duties For The Flower Girl

After the maid of honor takes her stroll down the aisle during the ceremony processional, the flower girl will walk down the aisle. Typically she has a basket in hand and will toss flowers, flower petals, confetti, or candy as she walks. If you’re looking for an alternative to the traditional item to toss, some brides choose to have the flower girl hold a parasol, or hand out single flowers to guests that line the aisle. The options are endless! To make sure she is familiar with the other members of your bridal party, include her in the bridal shower and other age-appropriate events you have planned for your bridesmaids. Lastly, make sure she understands her duties and have her practice what she needs to do often!

Did these tips help you choose your flower girl? If so, we would love to hear all about your wedding event. Contact us today!

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Are you having a formal black-tie wedding with 200 guests or a laid back garden wedding with your nearest and dearest? Maybe something in between? Regardless of the type of wedding you’re having, the timing on your big day can make your day perfect or make it a near-disaster. Emotions and stress will be running high on the day of, so leaving the timing of the day’s events up to fate could cause a mishap. Creating a schedule of events a few weeks in advance is a sure-fire way to ensure the day runs as smooth as possible. We’ve put together a list of some helpful tips to keep your wedding day timeline on schedule. 

Include every major event.

Although the wedding toast, first dance, and cake cutting are important chapters in the story of the day, there are other details that should be on the timeline too. Adding in events like getting dressed, hair, makeup, transportation, and gift exchanges will take up valuable time in the day. 

Allow ample of time for photos.

One of the biggest mistakes that a couple can make is not allowing enough time for staged photos to be taken of family, friends, and the wedding party. If you have a large wedding party and a lot of family that you would like to be captured in your wedding photos, it can seem like a daunting task to corral everyone together. Giving someone the task of gathering everyone together will help keep things orderly.

Let guests enjoy their meal.

If you have decided to serve a multi-course plated meal at your wedding, allow guests to enjoy the food without them feeling rushed. Each course should be given 20 to 30 minutes before moving on to the next. To cut down on time, allow guests to move to a buffet style dessert table so they can enjoy sweet treats at their leisure. 

Give yourself time to relax with your new spouse.

You just got married… now is the time to celebrate as newlyweds! Take time to be alone with your new spouse and enjoy one another’s company at the wedding, even if it is only for 15 or 20 minutes. That alone time after getting married is special.

Your schedule won’t be perfect. 

Give yourself a buffer of time in events and understand that delays happen. If you schedule your timeline down to the minute and it doesn’t go according to plan, your stress may go through the roof. Things like traffic and road construction can cause delays so give yourself a little extra time to get from one venue to the next.

Choose a company or professional who will handle it for you.

At EBE, our bandleaders and event captains take pride in their ability to create comprehensive timelines for events. Your photographer and stylist team will also be able to give you timing pointers to fill the rest of the day. If you’re worried about staying on time, a day-of coordinator will be a great option to create (and hold you to) a timeline.

Did these tips help you create the perfect timeline for your wedding? If so, we would love to hear all about it! Contact us today!

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Most brides-to-be spend a lot of time daydreaming about the details of their wedding, even before they get engaged! Part of that daydreaming includes the decor. Beautifully crafted calligraphy on the invitations, table numbers, signs, and more add a touch of elegance to any wedding event. What if we told you that you can learn how to write delicate calligraphy to add a touch of DIY to your event?

Calligraphy is fairly easy to learn if you have a steady hand and can commit the time. Wedding planning can be an incredibly stressful time and many folks turn to calligraphy as a way to relax and de-stress from the wedding planning process.

A Beginner’s Course

If you do well with following a course to learn something new, The Postman’s Knock offers an online course for a very reasonable $25. They teach both left handed and right handed folks how to use a dip-pen. There are a few supplies that you’ll need that can be purchased online or at your local craft store.

Take Your Time and Practice

Calligraphy is not something that is learned overnight. It will take time to perfect those letters to the standard that you’re happy with producing. Set aside some time every day to practice and before you know it, you’ll be a pro!

Plan Ahead

If there are certain aspects of your event that you would like to take the reins on and craft a calligraphy project, allow yourself ample time to perfect the letters that will be featured on your craft. If you have a moderate guest list and would like to tackle place cards and table numbers, don’t try to tackle everything at once – your hands will thank you. Take the total number of cards and signs that you need to prepare and break it up into manageable chunks to work on.

Ask For Help!

Hobbyist calligraphers are happy to help one another. Search online or seek out local calligraphers to help you jump over those hurdles that you may experience while learning this new craft. Make sure to compensate them for their time!

Did these tips help you start the process of learning calligraphy for your wedding DIY projects? If so, we would love to see the projects you crafted and hear all about your wedding event! Contact us today!

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Traditionally, a wedding rehearsal dinner is for the family and wedding party to enjoy one another’s company before the couple says I do. The couple will take the time to thank everyone involved with the planning of the event. Are you ready to start planning your rehearsal dinner but are not sure where to begin? We’ve put together a list of everything you need to know about your rehearsal dinner.

Photo by Alison Dunn Photography

Who is invited?

Of course these rules are only a guideline! Most couples usually invite their wedding party and their plus 1s. If you have children that are participating in the ceremony, it is a nice gesture to include them and their parents in the event as well. All parental figures, siblings (and their plus 1s), and grandparents should be included in the rehearsal dinner as well.

Where is the ideal place?

You’re probably going to want to skip McDonalds for this meal, but you don’t need to have everyone dress in black-tie either… save that for the wedding! Keep it simple and private by renting out the private dining room of a restaurant or hosting in someone’s backyard if weather permits.

Who foots the bill?

This is where the lines get blurred and it’s ultimately up to you and your families. Traditionally, the bride’s family takes care of the cost of the wedding, so it is customary for the groom’s family to take care of the bill for the rehearsal dinner. However, the dynamic of every family is different, so don’t discount the to-be-married couple from paying or have the bill split evenly between the two families.

Photo by Alison Dunn Photography

When does the dinner happen?

Most couples choose to have a run through of the ceremony the day before the wedding, and then have the rehearsal dinner immediately after. If a different day is better suited to you and your guests, then don’t feel obligated to do it the day before the wedding.

What happens?

It is customary for gifts to be given to the wedding parties from the to-be-married couple to thank them for all of their efforts in planning the event and participating in the ceremony. Toasts are very common and often given by the host of the dinner. The to-be-married couple may even want to say a few words to their family and friends.

Did these tips help you plan your rehearsal dinner? If so, we want to hear all about your event! Contact us today!

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After the question is popped and you’re wearing a sparkly new engagement ring on your finger, the millions of questions will begin rolling in! Did you set a date? Did you find a venue? Where are you registered?

A wedding website is a fantastic resource to allow guests to obtain the details of your event on their own time. Not sure where to begin? We’ve put together a list of some dos and don’ts when you’re in the process of creating your wedding website.

Do: Tell Your Story

Everyone loves love, so including the story of your relationship on your wedding website will make your friends and family say “Aww!”. Stick to the happy times and leave out details that may make folks a little uncomfortable.

Don’t: Leave It Unprotected

Your wedding website will include personal details with dates, times, and addresses of your event. Protecting your website with a password is becoming a pretty standard practice these days and ensures that your event remains private.

Do: Include Detailed Information

Your guests will need details! This includes guest arrival times, detailed directions to the venue, hotel block information, the open bar/cash bar options, the wedding dress code (check out the EBE blog to decode it!), registry information, and transportation options. Make sure the information is formatted clearly and in a way that makes sense to your guests.

Don’t: Mention Invite-Only Pre-Wedding Events

Typically bridal showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and the rehearsal dinner are smaller invite-only events. Keep the details of these events off of the website, as most of your guests will not be in attendance.

Do: Stick To Your Theme

Keep your wedding website in line with the theme of your wedding event by using similar colors, patterns, and photos that match your wedding style. If you’ve chosen to take themed engagement photos, they will blend perfectly into the website and add personal flair.

Did these tips help you craft your wedding website? If so, we want to hear all about your event! Contact us today!

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Although guests hope for an open bar at wedding receptions, it isn’t always a feasible option for couples that are sticking to a budget. With a little know-how and creativity, you can create the ideal bar spread for your guests and your wallet.

Do a little math…

Before you make any decisions on what you plan to serve at your reception, you will need to take a look at your guest list and do a little math. To get a rough estimate of how many drinks each person is expected to have during the event, this handy calculator does the hard work for you!

Offer what you can afford.

Even though your Great Aunt Sally has a preference for top shelf liquor, it doesn’t mean you’re required to serve it at your event. Don’t feel pressured by your guests’ preferences, and offer the beverages that fit best into your budget.

Signature drinks are a big hit.

Choosing two or three signature drinks offer hard liquor to guests, but keep your budget in mind. Your signature drinks can match the theme of your event, the season, and can even represent you and your future spouse! For example, if you are hosting your event in the summer, consider a fruity cocktail and give it a catchy name that speaks on your relationship or the overall event.

Limit champagne to the toast.

It’s no surprise that many of your guests will want to drink champagne at a wedding. Only offering a glass during the toasts of the reception will satisfy guests enough if it isn’t in your budget to provide all night. Some couples even choose to skip it entirely and guests will raise their glass of whatever they happen to be drinking.

Think outside of the box!

Offering big batch cocktails in beverage dispensers are a big hit! Cocktails like sangria, bourbon punches, and boozy iced tea will win guests over in the warm months. In the colder months, consider fall versions of these cocktails by using autumn fruits, ciders, and spices.

All inclusive catering.

Some caterers offer alcohol within their catering packages, whereas others offer it as add-on options. Make sure all of the details of what exactly is offered is laid out in the contract.

Did these tips help you create a wedding reception bar that your guests enjoyed? If so, we want to hear all about your event! Contact us today!

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They say that the devil is in the details and a wedding celebration is no exception to that. Covering all of your bases and ensuring that no stone is left unturned is part of what makes an amazing wedding reception. We’ve put together a list of details that your guests will absolutely love to help them feel comfortable throughout your wedding day.

Tissues

Weddings are an emotional experience for guests, especially those closest to the married couple. Place tissue boxes or small travel packs of tissues strategically around the venue for guests to use when emotions are running high.

Paper Fans and Water

Hosting an outdoor summer wedding ceremony? Providing paper fans and bottles of cold water for guests during the ceremony will help to keep them cool.

Flip Flops

Wearing high heels can become downright painful after a few hours. Give the ladies a break by providing a basket full of flip flops they can wear while dancing the night away. They (and their feet) will thank you!

Blankets

Hosting a fall or early winter wedding ceremony outdoors? Guests will need to bundle up to stay warm so providing them blankets will be appreciated. Go one step further and allow guests to take them home as a thank you for celebrating your wedding event.

Heel Protectors

If your ceremony will be held in a grassy area, it is a thoughtful idea to provide heel protectors for guests so their high heels don’t sink in the grass.

“Recovery Kits” for The Day After

An open bar with access to loads of booze can lead to a headache the day after the wedding event. Send guests home with recovery kit, which can be a fun DIY project!

Did you remember to include these details on your big day? If so, we want to hear all about your event! Contact us today!

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Choosing who will stand up next to you when you say “I do” to the love of your life should be one of the most fun and memorable parts of the wedding planning process. However, for some people, this may not be the easiest decision in the world. If you have siblings, cousins, or other family members that may expect to be chosen to fulfill the role of a bridesmaid, it can leave you confused. To help relieve the stress, we’ve put together a list of dos and don’ts for choosing your bridal party.

Do think about what you want.

Before you start bouncing ideas off of your fiancé, friends, or family about who you should include in your bridal party, think long and hard about who you really want to stand up next to you when you tie the knot. Following your gut feeling is really helpful in this situation. Remember, this is your wedding that is being celebrated!

Don’t be stressed about numbers.

Regardless of the grandeur of your wedding, the number of bridesmaids that you choose is your decision. If you have a big family and lots of close friends, you can absolutely have 10 bridesmaids. On the flip side, if you decide to have a more intimate affair, selecting one or two of the people closest to you is also wonderful.

Do include family members.

What defines family? Well, that varies from person to person, but including siblings in the bridal party allots them a special role in the wedding party. Siblings are usually our first best friends, so give them the highest honor by asking them to stand by your side and celebrate your wedding.

Don’t ask a friend just because you were in their bridal party.

You aren’t obligated to include anyone in your bridal party that you don’t want to. If a friend included you in her bridal party, that doesn’t mean that you have to include her in yours. Think about your friendship carefully and how you see her fitting into your future before making any decisions.

Do talk with your spouse-to-be.

The person that you plan on marrying should have some input in the bridal party. Making decisions together is a big part of marriage, so get used to it now! The love of your life may help you look at things in a new light that will steer you in choosing the best bridal party for your wedding event.Did these tips help you choose your bridal party? If so, we want to hear all about your event! Contact us today!

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