How to Choose Your Wedding Invitations

Your invitations will be your guests' first glimpse at the style of your wedding. Here are some tips to make sure your invitations reflect your vision of your special day.

GET INSPIRED: Look at invitations in stores and online for inspiration. Stick to the theme of your wedding. If you are having a casual, outdoor wedding - then have a casual invitation to set the mood. If you are having an elegant wedding - then choose elegant invitations.

CONSIDER YOUR BUDGET: Invitations can range from less than $1 if printed at home to $5 or more. Consider how many invitations you will need and set a budget.

CHOOSE YOUR FONT: A simple font allows you to put more wording on your invitation. The fancy fonts only look good in larger type-sizes. If you have your heart set on a particular fancy font, consider using a combination of fonts, with your names in a larger, more elaborate font and the rest of the text in a simpler, smaller font.

RSVP CARDS: You definitely need them if you are having a sit down dinner. Think of it this way: just two dinners you pay for uneccessarily would equal the average price of RSVP cards.

Top 10 Wedding Dress Trends Spring 2012 From The Knot

To see more bridal fashion coverage from TheKnot.com, visit http://www.TheKnot.com/fashion.

Whether it's a neckline, an embellishment or a silhouette, bridal trends are details we see again and again on fashion runways. Watch as TheKnot.com shows you the top 10 hottest wedding dress trends coming down the bridal runways for spring 2012, with commentary from Mark Ingram, owner of Mark Ingram Atelier and Mara Urshel, owner of Kleinfeld Bridal.

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How to Plan a Wedding Shower

BUDGET: Determine your budget and stick to it. You can defer costs by asking others to bring a dish or help in some other way.

GUEST LIST: Decide if you want the shower to be couples or just ladies. Start your guest list by asking the bride and groom who they would like to have at the shower. The bride and groom's mother will probably also have a list of who they would like to invite. Get address, phone numbers and email addresses.

LOCATION: Choose somewhere that is easy to get to for most of your guests and will accomodate a group of your size.

DATE: The date for showers is usually 6 - 8 weeks before the wedding. Make sure the date works for the key people (ie: the couple, the parents and siblings, the wedding party).

THEME: If you are using a theme, do so based on the couple's personality or needs. Some ideas are a pantry shower, general shower, recipe shower, lingerie shower, linen shower, etc.

INVITATIONS: Invitations can range from range from a phone call, to an email, to a printed invitation. Decide what will work for your budget. Be sure to include all necessary information on the invitation.

MENU: Base the menu on the time of the day of the shower. Early afternoon can be just appetizers and dessert or evening could be a dinner. Keep it simple so it can be a day of relaxation and fun.

GAMES: Having games will lighten the mood and make the shower more fun. Try to do a variety of games so everyone will enjoy it. Also, have prizes for the winners. It doesn't have to be anything expensive. You can just purchase lotions, small picture frames, candies, etc. and put them in a nice gift bag.

Wedding Shower Games

Planning fun shower games can be difficult. Here are a few ideas of games I've done in the past and some I plan to use at an upcoming shower...

• THE PRICE IS RIGHT: Purchase about 10 household items (toilet paper, macaroni and cheese, cereal, etc.) Hold ip each item one at a time and have everyone right down what they think the price is. After you have held up each item have them figure their total of all of the items. Whoever is closest without going over the actual cost is the winner. A benefit of this game is that you can give the items to the couple as a gift if you would like to.

Variation: This game can be used for a baby shower by purchasing items needed for a baby.

• GUESS THE SCENT: Purchase 8-10 different cooking herbs and cover the labels. Have each of them passed around to each guest and have them write down their guess of what the herb is. At the end call out the correct answers and whoever got the most correct is the winner. The herbs can be the prize or a gift to the bride and groom.

Variation: There are many variations of this game and they are all very fun. You can also use scented candles or clear liquids in cups. For a baby shower, you can create little felt diapers and fill them with different smells (baby lotion, chocolate, beer, etc.) 

• FAMOUS COUPLES: Create a list of about 20 different famous couples. Have a handout for each guest with a list of just one half of the famous couples. The guests have about 5 minutes to fill in the blank with the other other half of the couple. Whoever gets the most is the winner.

Here are the famous couples I thought of...

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Wedding Favor Ideas From The Knot

1. Go Traditional

There's a reason Jordan Almonds are the quintessential wedding favor: They're steeped in tradition. Read up on Jordan Almond history here, and decide whether it fits you as a couple. If you do decide to embrace the tradition, make sure you explain the significance to your guests. Consider attaching a little card with a note explaining the almonds' meaning.

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