Damask Wedding Programs for Catholic Wedding Mass

My damask wedding programs were a hit on my wedding day.  The stationary coordinated with my damask wedding menus and displayed the same wedding logo as my invitations, seating chart, and signs at the photo booth.  I love how everything looked great together, but nothing was too matchy matchy.  Kevin and I had a traditional Catholic mass in a gorgeous stone chapel, so we laid out our programs to help guests through the wedding ceremony.

 

Prelude

Seating of the Mothers

Procession of the Bridesmaids

Entrance Rite

Liturgy of the Word

Old Testament Reading

Responsorial Psalm

New Testament Reading

Gospel Acclamation

Sacrament of Marriage

Marriage Vows

Blessing of the Rings

Lighting of the Unity Candle

Prayer of the Faithful

Presentation of Gifts

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Eucharistic Prayer

Nuptial Blessing

Sign of the Peace

Communion

Blessed Virgin Mary Dedication

Final Blessing

Recessional

 Parents of the Bride

Parents of the Groom

Maid of Honor, Relation to Bride

Bridesmaid, Relation to Bride

Best Man, Relation to Groom

Groomsmen, Relation to Groom

Flower Girl, Relation to Bride/Groom

Ring Bearer, Relation to Bride/Groom

Officiate / Priest

Musicians

Thank you note

Story of us

Special prayer or dedication to deceased relatives

About the bridal party

If you are having a ceremony with guests unfamiliar with the religious mass, it would be nice to include the responses and cues when to stand/kneel/sit.  There are so many options to personalize your wedding programs and make them special.  Kevin and I had an extra section where we thanked our parents and guests, and listed the grandparents who could not be with us.  What are you using for your wedding program?  Are you having a full religious service or will you be doing something modern and unique?  I'd love to hear from you.

Fondue Themed Stella and Dot Party

I was looking for an excuse to have my coworkers and some girl friends over when a Stella and Dot stylist approached me.  They let you host a jewelry party (think Pampered Chef party) in your own home, so your friends can shop while sipping on wine and catching up.  All of their jewelry is on trend and they even now have some gorgeous bags and scarves.  For hosting the party, you get a percentage of the sales and heavy discounts.  It's pretty awesome!

I received a chocolate fondue set for Christmas that I had not used yet, so decided to have a fondue themed party.  What girl doesn't love chocolate and cheese?  (I did have other snacks for the health conscious and loctus introlerent).  We all enjoyed munching on these goodies, while shopping around for our new spring wear statement pieces.  They have the cutest stuff at Stella and Dot.

1 garlic clove, minced

16 oz Gruyere and Swiss cheese mixture, shredded (Trader Joe's has the perfect blend)

3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Toss the cheese with the flour.  Rub the interior of the fondue pan with the garlic.  Turn to medium heat and add the win.  Bring to a simmer and add the cheese mixture, one handful at a time.  Stir in the nutmeg.  Stir over low heat until smooth and cheese is melted and bubbling.  

Serve with:  Roasted brussel sprouts, potatoes, tomatoes, and mushrooms

Crusty bread - I like a nice sourdough bread the best

Chips and pretzels

Chocolate fondue chips

Place in microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir in between.  Continue process until completed melted then place in fondue pot over low heat to keep melted.

Serve with: Fresh fruit - pineapple, apple, grapes, strawberries, bananas

Salty foods - pretzels, chips

Desserts - brownies, oreos, cheesecake, wafer crackers

I had so much fun at this girls night and cannot wait for the next one.  If you know a Stella and Dot stylist in your area, you should consider having a party.  It is a ton of fun and you will get free jewels.

Dress Shopping Tips for the Stylish Mother of the Bride

My mom and I have been dress shopping for week's now for the perfect Mother of the Bride dress.  When we first started shopping, we had no idea of what worked and what did not work.  Below is a summary of everything that we learned throughout our journey.

The Mother of the Bride should determine the style of dress, then let the Mother of the Groom know.  It is up to the bride whether or not she would like to be a part of the decision.  The first big decision is knee length or long dresses.  Both my mom and Phil's mom were adamant about having shorter dresses.  

The biggest issue we ran into with the shorter length dresses is findingn a dress that would make the moms stand out in comparison to the rest of the wedding guests.  We were buying off the rack, so it made it even harder.  Finding dresses with lace, embellishments, and additional details will help a shorter length dress pop.  Jewelry and shoes can help add the wow factor as well.

Mother of the Bride dresses look best if they coordinate with the style of the bride's wedding dress.  If you are wearing a ballgown, the MOB dress should also be formal.  If you are hosting a rustic outdoor wedding, the MOB dress should be more laid back.  

From pastels to bold colors, you can find MOB dresses in any color.  Some MOBs try to do a slightly different color than the bridesmaid dresses, and some do their own thing.  My favorite is when a MOB selects a dress that is in the same tones as the bridesmaids, but is not the same color.  If the bridesmaids are wearing a pale pink, the MOB could wear a pale blue or soft grey.  Keep in mind this is a great opportunity to take family photos, so make sure the colors work together!

There are a few colors that you should stay away from black and white.  Dress in black and you will look like you are going to a funeral.  Dress in white and you will look like you are trying to outshine the bride.  Other than that, have fun and be creative with whatever direction you choose.

For 2013, the trends are bright, saturated colors or pastel muted pallets.  These are the colors I loved when dress shopping with my mom:

For a shorter dress, you have to be careful with the length of the dress.  A dress that cuts off at the knee or slightly above will work perfectly.  Anything higher may look a little too sexy.  You also want to be careful with the neckline and fit of the dress.  It is okay to show off your shape, but avoid dresses that are too form fitting or expose too much skin around the neckline.  My mom and I love the look of being able to show skin at the neckline through lace.  Check out the dress below.

Alterations can be very pricey (sometimes $45 to $60).  Pay attention to the dress' details to ensure it can be tailored easily or not at all.  The great thing about off the rack is you can usually find something that fits very well from the start.  You usually only have to worry about alterations if you are planning on ordering the MOB dress from a bridal salon.

The good news is that you don't have to buy a traditional MOB dress from a bridal salon.  Popular department stores like Nordstrom and Nieman Marcus sell gorgeous dresses online, and you can always find something gorgeous off the rack.

Dresses from a bridal salon can range from $80 at David's Bridal to $350+ for a higher end bridal designer.  Nordstrom has a great selection of dresses for ~$150, and Nieman Marcus can be slightly more expensive ~$250.

Some of my favorite brands include Tadashi Shoji, Sue Wong, and  Adrianna Papell.

Let me know if you have any other questions.  I am happy to provide advice.

Vintage Bride and Groom Custom Drink Stirrers

Having personalized drink stirrers is a great way to customize your reception.  For my wedding, I ordered vintage bride and groom drink stirrers ($22 for 50) to match my monogrammed cocktail napkins. We hired an Italian 3 piece band to play during the cocktail hour for a fun Italian touch.  The wedding party was busy taking photos, so we missed the hour, unfortunately.  I heard it was great fun though!  For the modern wedding, there are so many options to choose from if you are having drink stirrers.

Start your night off with a special message to your guests.  These drink stirrers say Live Laugh Love on a flag.  Other cute messages could be I Do, Eat Drink and Be Married, or Happily Ever After.

A drink stirrer with your new last name is a creative way to celebrate your new marriage. The script front and pearls add a touch of old Hollywood glamour. 

 

A simple heart with your new monogram is a creative drink stirrer.  It would be an easy DIY project.

Hand crafted wooden drink stirrers are relaxed and perfect for a rustic wedding.

A pretty swirly straw would be perfect for a vintage wedding.  How cute are these Just Married paper straws?  They are super cute, but be weary of the vintage paper straw.  I used them to serve skinny cocktails, and they got very soft/soggy by the end of the drink.

So what do you think?  Would you have vintage drink stirrers at your wedding?  What about a cocktail hour?  Are you going to have one of those before the reception?

DIY Wedding Celebration Shakers

I have planned a number of DIY projects for my Pinterest inspired rustic-vintage wedding (that's a mouth full!).  I happened to have all of the materials purchased when my family and family to be asked what they can do to help for our wedding at Easter brunch.  While the boys were watching sports, the ladies got started on my celebration shakers.  I saw this on Etsy and fell in love with the idea of celebrating our marriage with these shakers.  

Since we are doing an outdoor wedding, I wanted to avoid throwing rice or blowing bubbles.  These celebration shakers are a great eco-friendly alternative and will make noise as we make our way back down the aisle as a married couple.  :)  I can't wait!!

Lace ribbon (1 ft per wand)

Narrow pink ribbon (slightly over 2 ft per wand)

Thicker teal ribbon (1.5 ft per wand)

Dowel rods

Bells

I picked up all these materials at Jo Ann Fabrics.  With a 20% off entire purchase coupon this can be relatively inexpensive.  Hunt around for cheap lace.  I got mine 50% off at Jo Ann Fabrics.

1. Cut your ribbon to the desired lengths.

2. Spray the tip of the dowel rod with spray adhesive and wrap the lace around the tip.  Set aside and let dry.

3.  Thread the bell through the narrow ribbon.  Leave about a finger space then tie a knot.  (We noticed that the bell did not ring well when it was tied on super tight, so we came up with this solution to maximize celebrating volume.

4.  Center the teal ribbon on the dowel rod, holding it parallel to the dowel rod, then tie the pink ribbon around the dowel rod and pink ribbon.

5. Celebrate!

We decided to do it this way to minimize the amount of lace used (most costly ribbon) and get additional streamers to shake.  If you can, try to enlist your family and bridesmaids on this project.  It was so nice having an assembly line of people working on each of the steps and saved a ton of time.

When I was taking these pictures, the wand looked so beautiful in the wind.  I'm excited to show them off on our wedding day!