There's a new way to plan your dream wedding and it couldn't be easier. SimplyTie simplifies the process of planning a wedding with their 5 easy to use online apps including budget planning, guest list builder, wedding registry, wedding photo sharing application, and the thank you card builder.

1. Plan Your Wedding Budget - simply plug in your overall wedding budget and based on the average cost for each aspect of the wedding - you will see how much you will want to consider spending on them. It's a great tool to see everything at a quick glance.

2. Build your Guest List - this is amazing. You can easily add in your guests but to give you a head start on creating your guest list you can add friends and family members from facebook. You can even keep track of the invitation being sent, if the RSVP has been received, their meal choices and if a thank you has been sent directly in the app. Lastly your SimplyTie Guest List will even do work for you while you sleep. It will send messages via Facebook or Email to collect your guest’s addresses you don’t already have.

3. Create Your Registry - whether it's a cash registry or a honeymoon registry you can create yours right here. You can add your own items or view the sample registries for ideas.

4. Showcase your Photos - you can share your photos with friends and family via a special dedicated link or you can even share them via social media. The best part of this is that it's integrated with smart phones - your guests can upload their photos from your wedding directly to your gallery from their phones and they're viewable instantly.

5 Easy Peasy Thank You Cards - you can instantly create your thank you cards with the SimplyTie app. Your gifts are automatically plugged into a template - but you can personalize each message to your guests as well as each thank you card letter template. You can choose to print the cards yourself or have SimplyTie do it for you.

The entire SimplyTie app can be used at no cost - but for a low price you can upgrade the specific apps you'd like more features with or you can choose to upgrade the entire SimplyTie service for even more functionality and features.

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wedding planning easy & fun

guest blogging with Aleah and Nick of The Good Life Special Events

Today I'm joined once again by Aleah and Nick of The Good Life Special Events with their great list of tips to help us kick off the official summer wedding season.

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Summer has arrived! It's officially time for warm summer celebrations, wedding events, and spending time with loved ones. We are excited to lend you our Top 5 Tips to help you treat your guests to a memorable and comfortable summer wedding celebration.

1. Offer guests numerous drink stations during the festivities. Don't let them go thirsty pre-ceremony. Let them self-serve tasty cucumber or citrus-infused ice water. Provide pitchers of lemonade and set out fun accoutrements like rosemary and raspberries guests can add to their drinks.

2. Have fun! Arrange for lawn games that guests can play during the day. Croquet, bocci ball, and other easy-to-play games make for an enjoyable environment. Bring out apres-dinner ice cream or gelato stations as a tasty treat and a cool-off for your guests. {see today's earlier post for a great gelato/sorbetto choice}

3. Keep cool. We so often hear clients say that as the weather is expected to be hot for their wedding they don't need to worry about providing tents as a back-up plan to rain. On the contrary, we strongly recommend having a tented or shaded area with guest seating {this can either be lounge seating or dining tables, or a combination of both}. Offer guests an area to retreat from the sun and direct heat.

4. Think outside the box. Plan a menu that takes guests somewhere unexpected. Nix a more traditional and heavy plated dinner or buffet and create a mouthwatering menu featuring local fresh seafood, summer salads, and lighter fare. Be sure to provide an abundance of stations and food so as to not skimp on food. 

5. Be thoughtful. Place paper parasols and bamboo fans around your ceremony site for guests to use during the ceremony. If your venue is on the ocean or lakefront or an area where it gets cool at night, provide charming crates filled with shawls or blankets for guests. In addition, don't forget the heat lamps!

It's all about providing you and your guests with a comfortable and fun environment that encourages a celebration that lasts well into the night! Happy Summer! Aleah + Nick

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Thank you Aleah and Nick for sharing these great summer tips with my readers today.

About Good Life Events
Known as the dynamic duo, husband and wife Nick and Aleah Valley plan and design weddings and events along the West Coast, nationwide, and abroad. With a company in Seattle and one in San Diego, they've been bringing their strengths and resources together since 2003 to create truly amazing events. Visit Aleah and Nick online here: The Good Life Special Events in Southern California and Fine Line Management & Events in Seattle

Image Credits:
croquet photos from White Box Weddings, ice cream station from The Knot {photo via Jonathan Canlas}, sweet and tangy melon slaw from County Living, cucumber water from Wisteria, parasols from The Knot, bamboo fans from Shore Chic, tented lounge area from CocoCozy

guest blogging with Good Life Events

I'm happy to have Aleah and Nick of Good Life Events joining me on the blog today to share with you their top 5 tips on finding and staying true to YOU during the wedding planning process. So, here are Aleah and Nick . . .

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We know, perhaps more than anyone, how overwhelming wedding planning can be and how easy it is to get lost in the details. We always encourage our clients to find their voice and stay true to themselves during the planning process.

1. Determine who you are as a couple. What do like you to do for fun? Where have you traveled together? Do you have any cultural or religious tones you want to incorporate in your wedding celebration? Map out what these and your most memorable moments together are and incorporate those into your celebration. Your guests will appreciate getting to know you as a couple, whether it’s through your thoughtful vows, cheeky table names, or your fun, choreographed first dance.

above photos courtesy of Good Life Events

2. Don't buckle under pressure. We know that your family + friends have the best intentions and want to help you prepare for this joyous time in your lives. But if you aren’t keen on using your cousin as your florist, even though your aunt insists, don’t. Instead, perhaps ask her to create your toss bouquet. If you’re not comfortable with a certain ceremony style that your family is pressing for, try to find a happy medium. We know the importance of honoring family, friends, and tradition, but we also know the significance of today’s couple creating their own traditions.

3. Think about what you don't like. For many of our clients, this can actually be a difficult task and they have trouble explaining their vision. We’d encourage you to browse the wealth of wedding resources online to get ideas as to what inspires you, but more importantly, what you don’t like. This will be incredibly important to relay to your planning team, florist, your band, your photographer, and other wedding artists who might otherwise be unaware.

4. Don't be afraid. After all, this is your wedding and it should be a reflection of you. If you love relaxing in the Caribbean, surprise guests with an amazing cocktail hour complete with a rum bar and steel drum band at an otherwise formal wedding. Share a love of European travel? Create an unexpected après-dinner wine + cheese hour for guests, encouraging them to stay and visit all night, in true European fashion. If you’ve always dreamt of walking down the aisle in a blush pink gown, don’t be shy! The bottom line is to do what makes you both happy.

5. Laugh. We can’t mention this enough. Your wedding shouldn’t be a chore, but the greatest celebration of you both. Enjoy your planning process and focus on what’s important to each of you. Not only will you cherish your celebration, but your guests will see the sincerity behind each personalized detail.

Thank you Aleah and Nick for joining me today - to see more from Aleah and Nick, please be sure to visit Good Life Events online. And, Aleah and Nick's blog has even more wedding planning tips.