Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"Try to allow at least a month to assemble your invitations and address the envelopes - and consider calling on your bridesmaids to help."

To help you better estimate when to assemble your invitations - the average guideline to follow for sending the invitations is 8 weeks before the wedding and ask for an RSVP date 3 weeks before your wedding. If you don't get to send them out until 6 weeks before the big day, ask for an RSVP date of 2 weeks before the wedding. You'll want to make sure you have enough time to start creating your place cards, making final head counts and seating arrangements, assembling favors, etc. So, if you want to plan a fun day with your bridesmaids to assemble your invitations, you are looking at having a get together around 3 months before the big day.

Invitations shown above are from the new releases at eInvite

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com

"To cut down limo rental costs, request a color other than black or white, such as a subtle blue or burgundy."

For my own wedding, my husband and I rented a silver PT Cruiser. Our wedding reception was a bit of a drive from the church ceremony so it was fun to spend time together and talk before meeting our guests for the party. We also didn't feel rushed as can sometimes happen with limo rentals because the car stayed with us at the location and we drove home in it the next day. (our reception was on the grounds of a B&B and we stayed there that first night before meeting family the next day and opening our wedding presents)

What will be your mode of transportation on your wedding day?

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com

"Keep a pretty basket filled with useful goodies like safety pins, a sewing kit, aspirin, a hairbrush, hair spray, and extra panty hose in the rest room at your reception."

You might even consider creating 2 restroom baskets - one for the men and one for the ladies. Of course, the men's bathroom basket is much simpler and could include mints and/or gum, spray deodorant, a comb, antacids, dental floss, and a lint brush. Their basket could even be an overturned top hat. For the ladies room, you probably want to get a little prettier and tie a ribbon on it and in addition to the items mentioned above, you might also include tampons and sanitary pads (discretely placed in the back, but still noticeable), mints and/or gum, bobby pins, spray deodorant, hand lotion, clear nail polish, hand sanitizer, antacids, dental floss, Band-aids, a comb, a laundry pen, emery boards, and you might consider bug repellent for outdoor weddings. In addition to the basket, you might want to add a box or 2 of tissues.

For those who choose to purchase a pre-made restroom basket, Gift Basket Classics has a nice one (shown in photo above).

Anybody have any additional ideas? Will you be putting a basket together for your wedding?

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
Above Image Credits: Event Expressions
(Tara and her team specialize in the creation of celebrations that are unique, personalized, and elegant.)

"Though hiring a wedding consultant may seem like an expensive indulgence, a professional who's clued in to the bridal business is better equipped to get you the best prices and deals."

With the wedding planning business rapidly growing, I'm almost certain you would be able to find a planner easily in your area that fits within your budget. Plus, hiring a wedding planner helps take a lot of the pressure and stress off of you, so you can have fun planning your wedding. (and, sometimes you might be able to find an officiant/Justice of the Peace who is also a wedding planner)

Did you hire a wedding planner or do you plan on having one?

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"In developing your new relationship with your mother-in-law-to-be, find interests the two of you share and start building a friendship based on them. Love may come in time, but "like" is more important right now."

I'm going to need your input and advice on this tip as I was never able to meet my mother-in-law. She passed away when my husband was in his early teens, so the only "memories" I have of her are from photos my husband has shown me. In our church programs, we gave tribute to my husband's mom and all our friends and family that could not be with us on our special day.

Do you have any advice for brides that are developing a relationship with their future mother-in-law?