This is what my Monday looks like…!

 

Like them?

Toni@TrueBloom ♥

 

When should I send Thank You cards?

I read recently that tradition dictates that Thank You cards should be sent out to your guests “up to and not beyond a year after your wedding date”.

Of course, any “thank you” is nice…!  But my personal feeling is that, as a guest, I’d probably be a little confused about receiving a “thank you” a year after the event – I might have forgotten what I’m being thanked for by then!

But no-one expects you to spend your honeymoon writing cards – we all know you’ve done enough organising for a lifetime by then!  So.. when to send your Thank Yous?

My brides generally order their Thank You cards upon return from their honeymoon – that’s usually 2 or 3 weeks after the event, and then allowing a 2-week order period and time to write them, their guests will receive them between a month and two months after the big day.  As a guest, I think that anything up to 3 or 4 months after is perfectly fine.

Some brides like to use an official photograph of the day on their Thank You card – in which case, this depends on the photographer – sometimes, you won’t receive your photos until up to 2-4 months after the event.

My advice – as ever – is that there are no rules – it’s your day, do it your way.

Why won’t my guests RSVP?!

This WILL happen! If all your guests RSVP on time, you have the Best. Guests. Ever! So many brides tear their hair out when people don’t reply, even when they’ve supplied self-addressed RSVPs!

My advice? If you’re having a big wedding and exact numbers are crucial, then account for…

• the slow-coaches by giving a ‘reply by’ date at least a couple of weeks earlier than you had planned
• the postally-challenged by giving them a phone number or an email address as an alternative means of replying
• the downright lazy by resigning yourself to the fact that you might have to chase them for an answer.

Don’t take it personally. Yes, it’s bad manners, but there’s probably a million reasons why they haven’t replied… but you love them, right, that’s why you’re inviting them to your wedding?

A-a-a-a-n-d…….breathe!! Good luck!

When should I send out my wedding invitations?

I’m often asked ‘how long before the wedding should I send out the invitations’?

My response is always the same – when do you want to send out the invitations?  Tradition tells us 3 months, timelines in all the wedding magazines / sites tell us anything from 10 to 4 months in advance..

My advice? Forget all that, and ask yourself some common sense questions.  

• How big is your wedding?
• What time of year is your wedding?
• What’s your style?

If you are a super-organised type who is inviting 200 guests in the middle of summer, it makes sense to send out your invitations early (I’ve had customers send out their invitations between 6 and 10 months in advance). There’ll be a lot to organise, and your guests will be planning holidays at this time of year.

If you’re a laidback couple inviting close family and friends to a winter wedding, then chances are you’ll have mentioned the date to all of your guests, and a formal invitation need only be sent a few weeks in advance.

For RSVP dates, I’d give the same advice. Depending on your style of wedding, you might need to know exact numbers of guests if you need to consider;

• who will appear on your seating plan / placecards?
• do you need to advise the venue / caterer of any special dietary requirements?
• how many Order of Service booklets will you need to order?

 Your venue, if that’s applicable, will be able to guide you on this – they will usually give you a date by which they’ll want you to finalise the numbers. Otherwise, I’d advise around six weeks to a month before the wedding, so there’s no last minute panics.

 I hope that helps. Any other advice to add?

Toni@TrueBloom ♥

 

Happy New Year / Bonne Annee!

Well, as usual, I’m running around two weeks behind the rest of the world, but.. Happy New Year!  I have spent the first two weeks of 2013 plotting and planning, scheming and dreaming.  Along the way, I came across some beautifully inspiring blogs (particularly Positivity Pimp and A Life Of Perfect Days) and am feeling all fired up to make 2013 everything I want it to be.  How about you?

Toni@TrueBloom ♥ 

Claim your holiday discount

Apparently, 26% of engagements take place over Christmas & New Year.  As if it’s not a lovely enough time of year!  I am well and truly in the holiday spirit now and, to celebrate, True Bloom is offering a whole bunch of special offers over December and January.

In order to benefit from any one of these offers…

10% off your order of Guess Who? invitations.

15% off your order of Luxury Pocketfold Invitations.

10% off your Order of Service booklets.

10% off your order of Thank You Cards.

10% off your order of Baby Announcement cards.

…all you need to do is register your interest by sending an email to toni@truebloom.co.uk by 31st December 2012 letting me know your wedding date and what offer you are interested in (one per person, one discount per order).

Remember, you’ll be able to order whenever you like, just register your interest now to claim your discount!

Sponsored post: High-street alternatives for a budgeting bride

Brides these days are making their own rules when it comes to their wedding. The days where the only options were a traditional wedding with a traditional dress is now gone, couples are taking control and not bending to wedding pressures. One of the main reasons for this trend may be due to tighter budgets, but instead of planning a bland day more and more are adding more of their personality by being more hands on with the details.

There are numerous magazines, blogs and sites that give advice about how to “do it yourself” for your wedding, for example, preparing your own food, making your own cake and arranging your own flowers. Adding little touches like this can really make a difference, it is important your wedding day reflects you as a couple, not how far your budget can stretch.

Saying this, there is still a few wedding pressures that are a little harder to ignore. One big one being the dress. Budgeting can sometimes fly out the window when it comes to the brides wedding outfit, which no one should feel guilty about. It is your day after all so if you have dreamt of the custom made princess dress then go for it. Alas this is not an option for many and so why huge numbers of people are turning to the good old British high street.

Many brands that you already love are jumping at the opportunity to dress you for one of the most important days of your life. The prices are much lower than specialist wedding boutiques but the dresses are just as elegant and can be with you in a couple of days rather than months.

These wedding dresses are from Phase Eight. They are available online and in selected stores around the UK. With so many stunning wedding dresses available on the high street, it is now so easy to find the bridal gown of your dreams without spending a fortune. 

(All images courtesy of Phase Eight.)

I haven’t always been a big fan of this time of year.  I’ve always found it a stressful time, a time when I pile the pressure on to myself to create new goals for the new year and contemplate all the ones that I didn’t achieve.  This year, it’s different.  This year, I’m reminding myself of all the great things I have achieved.  And I’m reminding myself that when I go for something, I usually get it.  I only have to keep doing something towards getting where I want to be, and it eventually happens.  I have so much to be thankful for.  This year, I’ve noticed.

Toni@TrueBloom ♥