Stamped wedding invitation envelopes

I wanted to spruce up the envelopes for my wedding invitations -- it is a very special day after all, right? I wanted something simple though that didn't take oodles of time. So, I got the idea to stamp the envelopes.

For this project, I used the wedding invitation envelopes, a nice big bold stamp and an ink pad in the colour of choice (for me, this was coffee brown). A lap desk or hard surface like a closed laptop is also very useful.

The directions for this are simple: decide where you want to place the stamp on the envelope. For me, this was in the lower left corner. Then press the stamp into the ink, and stamp the envelope. Move to the next one.

Estimated time for this project: due to numerous breaks and other engagements, this took me four evenings to complete 250 envelopes. After doing 50 or so, I had to take a break because my wrists hurt!

Notes:

• For the best image, press the stamp from the ball of your wrist and put even pressure around the corners. Don't press lightly and try not to smudge the image. After a number of printings, your wrist should hurt but the image is crisp and clear.
• My colours were: cream envelopes, coffee brown stamp pads and a large fleur-de-lys stamp (bought in Tennessee).

Ideas:

• The possibilities for this are endless: which colour? which type of stamp? Do you only stamp once or a few times? Which corner should you use? Should it be the front or the back?

How to make maple candy

This candy recipe is really easy and you can use any moulds that you like! We used maple leaves as we were having a fall wedding but it's up to you.

Recipe:

• 1 (398 mL or 14 oz) can pure maple syrup, grade B or "the dark amber stuff"
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tbsp butter (not margarine)
• candy thermometer
• candy molds
• vegetable oil spray
• A good pot like a Dutch oven
• smaller container with a spout (like a creamer)
• large plastic freezer bags

Lightly spray the molds with vegetable oil so that the candy will come out easily while you bring the can of maple syrup, cream of tartar and butter to a boil. Stir the ingredients together slightly (just to mix it together) and add the candy thermometer. Then, let it boil without stirring until the candy thermometer reads 235 degrees (soft ball stage). Then, pour from the pot into the smaller container with a spout (it's just easier to handle). Now move fast! Pour into the molds until each candy is 3/4 full. Move quickly as the sugar darkens the longer it is removed from the heat. 

Let cool on the counter for about 15 minutes then tap the back to pop the hard candy out of the molds and into a large resealable freezer bag. Eat or store in the freezer for between three to six months.

Note: These are the hard, clear amber candies that you suck on. For the creamy maple candy, try this recipe.

How to make an advice jar

If you are planning a wedding or other event that gathers a large group of people together for a good cause, this is a great idea to get people involved. An advice jar sits on a desk with a pen and is always ready for anyone to write down their thoughts and give advice. It's very fun to read the advice afterwards as people often write whatever they want. I had one of these sitting on a table at my reception and we had some hilarious bits of advice to read that night.

The materials required for this project are: paper in the color of your choice (at least 20-30 8 x 10 sheets), sharpened pencils, white eraser, craft knife, self-healing cutting mat, Glue Dots, marker, scissors, a stamp and stamp pad. A ruler is also useful for marking dimensions of the paper and sign.

The Jar:

I created a sign to label my jar using white paper. I cut it out in a rectangle then I labeled the sign using a good brown Sharpie and glued it all to a very large pickle jar using Glue Dots (available in Michael's).

(sorry, I thought that I had a better picture of it but apparently I don't)

The advice papers:

Next, I had to make the actual slips of paper that people write advice on. For mine, I marked 3 x 3 inch squares with pencil on 8 x 10 sheets of cream paper and I cut them out using a craft knife on a self-healing cutting mat (that would be way too much cutting with scissors). I erased all of the pencil marks then stamped one side of the papers with a large stamp in sepia brown ink (one of my wedding colors). Now they are ready for advice!

Estimated time for this project: labeling the pickle jar took about 20 minutes, but the advice papers took a few days as I made over 100 of them. It was a lot of minuche so I took days off between steps (marking, cutting, erasing, stamping).

Ideas:

• This is a great craft for a group of people. If everyone has one of the tasks or steps then it could conceivably be done in one afternoon. 
• Use any color marker or ink pad colour of your choice, same with the choice of stamp. If your wedding is purple and white, try using white paper with a brilliant stamp in purple ink.

A realistic wedding timeline

I had almost two years to plan my wedding. Now that we are married, I can reflect on when things got done along with what things I should have done and when. I will write them all in this timeline.

I find the timelines in wedding magazines include things that you do not need: for example, you don't need a videographer or a wedding planner. So, here's a timeline put together from my own experience as a recent bride.

12 months before wedding:

• Decide on your wedding colours and theme (if you are having one)
• Decide on your wedding party (maids or matrons of honour, best man, groomsmen, etc.).
• Decide on a wedding day.
• Decide on a wedding venue - and book it.
• Decide on a reception venue - and book it. Don't worry about the details like the meal or guest list yet, just book the room that holds a good number (ex. 100 seats).
• Shop around for a photographer and book.
• Book a florist for the wedding flowers.

Finances for 12 months:

• Save for confirmation payment on reception, photographer and florist.

11 months before wedding:

• Fill out the contract and make the confirmation payments for reception, photographer and florist.
• Brainstorm a venue for the photo session. Talk to your photographer for ideas.
• Brainstorm what you want to do for wedding favours.
• Brainstorm any activities you want to do for your reception (games, activities, etc.).
• Book your transportation for the day of the wedding. Get an appoximate quote and the preferred payment method.
• Shop around for a wedding dress. Have your first (first of many) "Oh my god, I can't believe this is happening" moment.

Finances for 11 months:

• Make confirmation payment for reception, photographer and florist (about $800 total). If this is required for your transportation, then do that as well.

10 months before wedding:

• If you are making anything for your wedding, time to finalize what you want to make, what it looks like and what you need to buy in order to make it happen. Buy all of that now (paper, boxes, ribbon, etc.).
• Brainstorm what you want to give for attendant gifts.
• Purchase a wedding dress no later than this date because it usually takes at between 4-6 months to make and ship to the wedding store.

Finances for 10 months:

• Buy wedding dress.
• Buy anything that you are planning to put together yourself: paper for invitations, boxes, ribbon, etc.

9 months before wedding:

• Decide on text and design for your wedding invitations.
• Meet with your officiant and fill out any forms that you need to (if you need to). 

8 months before wedding:

• Make wedding invitations (if you are making them). If you are ordering them, then send the text and design out now.
• Talk to the groom about his wedding attire: does he need a new suit? New shoes?
• Talk to your officiant about if you have to do marriage classes or a session. 

Finances for 8 months:

• If you are ordering your invitations, you may have to pay for them up-front now.

6 months before wedding:

• Go to marriage classes with your officiant. Depending on which religion you are (or which church you are getting married in), this may be a one-evening sit-down session or a two-day session.

5 months before wedding:

• Send out wedding invitations.
• If your wedding dress has arrived, go in for your fitting. Bring your wedding shoes.
• If the groom needs any new clothing (suit, shoes, tie, etc.), get it now so that he can have it fitted.
• Confirm the meal for your reception.
• Start designing the programs for the wedding ceremony. If you need supplies to make these, buy it now.
• Confirm the design for wedding favours and buy all materials that you will need to either make them or buy them. 

Finances for 5 months:

• Buy postage for invitations.
• Buy supplies for wedding ceremony programs.
• Buy supplies for wedding favours.
• Buy groom's attire.
• Save money for down payment for reception. 

 3 months before wedding:

• Work on the design for the wedding programs. Figure out how to print it and what it will look like. 
• If you are a real eager beaver, start designing the Thank You cards as well.
• If you are changing your name, time to research what needs to be updated (bank accounts and cards, health cards, SIN number, etc.).
• If you have a will, time to talk to a lawyer about updating it. If you want a prenuptial agreement, time to start planning that as well. 

Finances for 3 months:

• If you are talking to a lawyer about a will or a prenuptial agreement, you will most likely be discussing fees for this. Expect about $1000 total for each transaction (will and agreement).

2 months before wedding:

• Research how you go about getting a marriage license. Who do you need to contact, how much is it, how much time does it take for you to actually get it back (ours was five days from the day that it was filled out).
• Put together a prototype for your wedding favours and talk to friends about an assembly line to make them. Even if you've bought them, you might have some assembly or labeling required. 

Finances for 2 months:

• Continue to save money for down payment for reception.

1 month before wedding:

• Get all of your medical appointments (dentist, the doctor, the optometrist, etc) out of the way, that is, if you haven't done so already.
• Think about what shots you want during the photo session. Write them all down as you think of them. Send to the photographer once the list is complete. 
• Write down the venues for the ceremony, photo session and reception for out-of-town guests, the transportation and anyone else who asks. Send it to them now.
• Make your hair and make-up appointment. If you are getting married during the summer, you may need to do this 2 months before the wedding.
• Continue your RSVP list for the reception.
• Make attendant gifts (or buy them).
• Designate someone to pick up the flowers on the day of the wedding and drop them off to the groom and yourself.
• If you are changing your name, time to fill out some forms.

Finances for 1 month:

• Make first down payment for your reception. This should be half of the total bill.
• Make first down payment for your photographer. This should be half of the remaining bill.
• Buy attendant gifts or the materials required to make them.
• If you are changing your name, you may have to pay a fee to change your health card, bank cards, etc.

2 weeks before wedding:

• Fill out forms for the marriage license.
• Start whitening strips for your teeth. Go for the 14-day whitening strips or have the procedure done at the dentist.
• Get your highlights and haircut done. Also, if the groom needs the same thing it's time to get it done.
• Continue your RSVP list for the reception.
• Check the ceremony program with your officiant one more time.
• Make your wedding favours (if you are making them) with an assembly line. 

Finances for 2 weeks:

• Your highlights and haircut. The groom's haircut.
• Any beauty items: whitestrips, long-lasting make-up, etc.

 1 week before wedding:

• Pick up marriage license.
• Do a run-through of your hair with the hair dresser.
• Finish the program for the ceremony and print off. Assemble. Designate someone to take these to the ceremony and (if there are leftovers) take them to your house after the wedding.
• Make any signs that you want to display at your house, ceremony, photo shoot and/or reception. Designate someone to put up these signs and to take them down.
• Submit RSVP list for your reception. Confirm the menu for your reception as well.
• Designate someone to pick up flowers at the florist and drop them off for the groom and bride. Call the florist to inform them who this person is so that they give the flowers to the right person.
• Call and confirm details with the limo or transportation that you have hired. Confirm pick-up time, locations (church, photo shoot, reception), drop-off time and method of payment.

Finances for 1 week:

• Pay for marriage license.
• Pay for wedding hair and make-up at the run-through so that you don't have to on the day of the wedding.
• Make second and last payment for the flowers.

 Two days before wedding:

• Pick up wedding dress and get all bridesmaid's dresses steamed. Hang dress up in a room that is closed off from kitchen and bathroom odors (and peeking grooms).

 Day before wedding:

• Do a rehearsal with the officiant, wedding party and musician.
• Have a rehearsal supper with closest family, friends and the wedding party.
• Have a manicure or pedicure.
• Prepare food for the wedding day (think of breakfast, lunch and a snack).

Finances for one day:

• Pay musician(s).
• Pay officiant with a thank you card.
• Pay for manicure or pedicure (unless you are doing it at home).
• Pay for food at the rehearsal supper (if it is at home). If it is in a restaurant, everyone pays for their own food.

Wedding day:

• Get hair and make-up done. 
• Flowers are dropped off.
• Put dresses on.
• Get married!
• Photo shoot
• Reception

 Finances for wedding day:

• Pay limo or transportation (most likely in cash).

4-6 weeks after wedding:

• Confirm and update your will with a lawyer.
• View photo proofs and decide on which ones to develop.
• Start Thank You cards.
• Update your accounts with the status "married". You may need to update information at work, at the bank, etc.
• Get your marriage certificate in the mail. You might need it for your will or prenuptial agreement, or to change your name.

Finances for 4-6 weeks after wedding:

• Make last payment for the reception.
• Make last payment for photographer.
• Pay for photo development.
• Buy postage for Thank You cards.
• Lawyer fees for a will and/or prenuptial agreement. 
• Fees may be needed for changing your name.

The 2011 Experiment

I am running an experiment this year to see if I can stop annoying habits and start good ones. At the beginning of the year, I wrote the list below of everything that I wanted to do in 2011. My motto for this year is: stop saying "I should do" and actually DO. Now that it is almost November 2011, it's time for me to check in.

Complete:

• Wear more skirts: done. As a matter of fact, I made at least 6 skirts this summer and I have worn them all at least once.
• Loose weight: I started a walk/run program in June that helped me lose a whole dress size and gain some muscle tone.
• Watch 1 new movie every month: I think that I have seen at least 6 new movies this year along with many James Bond movies that I had never seen before. 
• Attack the unfinished craft projects: doing, not completely done. However, I have created this blog which has given me a lot of motivation to finish my stash and to do new things.
• Wedding: we got married in October and we made almost everything ourselves. It is already paid too.
• Honeymoon: we went to Paris for our honeymoon and had a great time! It was a big trip and I learned a lot. This trip is already paid as well.
• Address energy consumption in our apartment: I have actually written a blog post about this and we unplug everything possible whenever it's not in use (save the fridge, stove and PVR).
• Produits Lemieux: we made the switch to eco-friendly products in August 2011. These are awesome, they come in bulk and they really work. I feel better using products made of natural ingredients as my cat licks everything.
• Drink less Coke, drink more water: I stopped drinking Coke in May 2011 and I have never felt better!
• Knit a baby blanket: I completed a baby blanket in April and I have started two more. I also learned some new stitches and techniques. I only started knitting in October 2010! 
• Reuse containers: I have tried to reuse every container, box or packaging that comes into my house before it goes into the recycling. Just check out my posts on pump containers, small containers and yogurt containers.

In Progress:

• Make lunches and meals at home: we created a menu for 16 weeks that we follow. I am in the process of updating it now to follow Clean Eating.
• Spend less time worrying about grey hair: meh, it's going to happen. I'm getting older. However, I will pluck out what I can see for my wedding pictures.
• Teach my cat Felix not to bite people: we work on this but it's very hard once he's set in his ways
• 8 hours of sleep per night: this one is harder than it looks.
• Eat more vegetables: we have worked this into our menus, mentioned above.
• Spend more time with my husband: I want to spend as much time with my husband as I can before we start a family. This means doing something together at least once per week. 
• Use up all of the food in my fridge: I have become the fridge watchdog.
• Reuse old clothes or take them to the Salvation Army: as you have seen on this blog, I have been thinking of new ways to use clothes before they go to the Salvation Army. More ideas will be coming.
• Make my Xmas presents: I have been planning this since last Xmas (seriously) and I already have some items made. More will be coming. Besides, I think that it means more to create a gift for someone.
• Visit museums around Ottawa: we visited many Ottawa sites and museums this summer which was great. The Museum of Civilization is really cool.
• Spend more time doing things: I have designated Sundays as craft days where I don't have the TV on or the computer.
• Make my morning routine faster: I have been working on this and I have found solutions like taking my coffee with me in a travel mug and packing things up the night before.
• Keep resources and knowledge found: my computer is a brain, essentially. I write everything down including how I have organized my papers. That way, whenever I wonder where something is, I can look here. I will be writing about this in the future.
• Use Skype to talk with family and friends: I have had many conversations already this year and I plan on using it more.
• Stop spending money on stupid stuff: surprisingly, our upcoming wedding and honeymoon put this goal firmly in its place. I'm very happy about that! Connect more with my family.
• Stop emotional eating: I have been working hard to solve emotional times with talking or writing things down instead of eating. It is an uphill battle.
• Try a new restaurant in Ottawa every month: I haven't tried a new one every month but I have tried at least four new restaurants this year. I will do better next year. 

Unfinished:

• Make homemade preserves: we found that this was harder to do in the city as everything was more expensive and we have no car to go to the country to pick our own berries.We'll try again next summer.
• Volunteer: I haven't done this yet but I still plan to before the end of the year.
• Finish little house tasks: I have been organizing but the wedding chores took over. I plan on addressing tasks like organizing the filing cabinet after the honeymoon in October.
• Composting in Ottawa: this is supposed to be discussed with each apartment complex. I have heard nothing yet but it was supposed to be done in July 2011. I have to talk to my apartment office about this.
• Get a pair of skates: I plan on doing this in October/November. 
• Don't buy any yarn in 2011: well, this one didn't work. I had planned on not buying any yarn because I thought that I had enough to last me a whole year but it was all gone by March. So, that didn't work.
• Perfectionner ma français: I still have more work to do on this but I have French training coming soon at work. 

How to do a bilingual wedding

Canada is a bilingual country (English/French) and so was my wedding. Well, my hubby is French so it was only fair to him and his family. I enjoying mixing the two traditions together for my wedding although I have to admit that I stressed over translation and including both languages in our wedding. If you are planning a bilingual wedding, read this. I have been there and here is everything that I did to make it a wonderful day for us.

1. Programs: the ceremony will most likely be in one dominant language but print bilingual programs. Make sure that the process of the ceremony is written in each language and if any parts are read in the other language, write that. For example, we had English and French programs. In the French programs, we wrote all of the responses in English as they were said in English but the process was written in French so that they could follow. In turn, in the English programs, when there was a French reading we indicated that it would be said in French. Also be sure to have a sign indicating which programs are in each language when people pick them up.
2. Readings: have one in each language during the ceremony.
3. Vows: each person can say their vows in their maternal tongue. This may require some memorization as your officiant may not be bilingual. Or, you can just do them in the dominant language of the ceremony which is most likely the language that the priest or officiant speaks.
4. Signs: have bilingual signs for the venue of the ceremony and reception. I also made little bilingual signs for the guest book and other activities around the reception and ceremony.
5. Master of ceremonies: we were very lucky to have a bilingual master of ceremonies. This can be anyone that you know very well that speaks both languages and believe me, it's extremely helpful. It doesn't interrupt the flow of the event at all and keeps everyone laughing at the same jokes.
6. Speeches: do not expect for your family and friends to do bilingual speeches. If they want to attempt it, they are welcome to and your guests will appreciate the time and effort that they make but it is not an expectation. This is what a bilingual MC is for!
7. Slideshow: we had a slideshow at our reception and we made sure that all of the captions were bilingual. It was consistent too, with the French // English text. Everyone enjoyed it!
8. Menu: if you have a menu card, make sure that it is in both languages.
9. Favours: make them without text so that you don't have to translate. One thing that I did was I stamped my candy packages with both English and French thank you stamps so I didn't have to worry about who got either language and where they were sitting.
10. Families: don't worry about both families meeting at the wedding. Try icebreaker games that don't require language. You could also make up word lists between the languages and send them out so that people can pick up on certain words when they hear them that day. We played the shoe game which was translated back and forth by our MC.
11. Guest book: make sure that it is blank so that people can write their comments in either language.
12. Translation: if you are bilingual, or your partner is, then when people talk translate back and forth so that everyone knows what is going on and everyone can have a share in the laughs. We did this for the day and everyone got along very well (despite the language barrier).

Wedding finances

So how much does a wedding cost? And people always say that there are last minute expenses, but if you are a bride you aren't really sure what they are. Here is an approximate list of what we paid (in Canadian dollars) and what we learned. This list may not be complete as some people buy things that others do not think are necessary. But here is how I viewed it.

The necessities:

1. Marriage license: you will need this. Expect for it to cost between $100 to $200. The price is regulated in each province and state. Mine was $122.
2. Reception: depending on how you do it, budget it at about $50 per head. This may or may not include the price of the room before the meal.
3. Officiant: again, it depends but count on about $200 for the officiant and the church unless you live in a city and you are having a wedding at a cathedral or basilica. You may also have to pay for the officiant and the ceremony venue separately.
4. Musician: this could run you at between $100 to $300 for the ceremony. If you have an organist and a musician, this will double.
5. Photographer: count on $800 for the lowest packages (ceremony and photo shoot) and then it will go up.
6. Photo venue: you may or may not have to pay a fee for your photo session location.
7. Wedding dress: start your budget around $700. Mine was $1100 and it included alterations, storage, rebeading and steaming. 
8. Hair and make-up: I didn't have my make-up done, but I did have my hair done professionally. Expect for it to cost between $100 and $200.
9. Attendant gifts: depending on what you want to give your attendants, you should always give them something. If you spend $50 on each attendant and you have three girls and three boys, this is $300.
10. Paperterie: programs, invitations, thank you cards, and any other paper items that you want to use like signage, menus, name cards, etc. The paper costs money but you don't need to buy invitations made for weddings as they cost 10 times as much. If you make it yourself, you will save tons of money. The average price I found for buying paper items was $900-$1200 whereas mine was less than $300 for everything.
11. Flowers: depending on which flower package you choose, this will run you from $300 to $1200 or more.
12. Transportation: how will you get from point A to point B? I rented a limo which cost $800 for the day. You could also rent an antique car or have other options. Expect for it to run you between $500 to $1000 for the day.
13. Decorating: after you decide on how you want to decorate the church and reception (or more venues) you have to go about paying for it through a decorating company or you do it yourself. I kept things extraordinarily simple because my venues spoke for themselves and didn't need decorating. I paid about $100 total for decorating.
14. Favours for guests: again, this will depend on your wedding theme or colors. I made candies and gave them out in decorated Chinese takeout boxes. We made them ourselves and it cost about $250 for the ribbon, boxes, paper, maple syrup, filling and wax paper.

Some items you may already have:

1. Shoes to wear in your wedding dress: wear a pair of comfortable shoes. You will be on them all day until the reception. They should match the dress but you don't need to spend a lot of money on a new pair of strappy sandals. 
2. The groom's attire: it depends, of course. Some men rent their suit, but we got lucky. The groom will need a suit, shirt, tie, and shoes. It is possible that he already has some of this. 
3. Accessories: the jewelry that the bride wants to wear, a shawl if it gets cold, and a purse to carry around that day.
4. Manicures: all girls love manicures and pedicures but we have an army of beauty products at home. You could do them at home to save money or spend about $40 per person. It's up to you.
5. Attendants clothing: we were lucky that we didn't have to pay for the bridesmaid's dresses or the groomsmen's tuxes. I did buy ties for the guys so that they all had the same color tie but we saved money here. Some people want to buy all of that for their party (I did at first) and that is fine.
6. Make-up: also listed below in unexpected expenses but you might already have good make-up that you can apply yourself for your big day. I did but I did buy a long-lasting lipstick and waterproof mascara.

The unexpected expenses:

1. Food for the day of the wedding: that is, breakfast, lunch and a snack. Is it made at the house? Are you getting something on route? Or are you buying a veggie tray and taking it with you?
2. Also, Food, in general: you will eat during your meetings with the vendors if they are at a coffee shop. During the wedding week, keep a couple $20s in your wallet to cover this.
3. Long-lasting make-up: I thought that my regular make-up was good enough but believe me, get the long-lasting lipstick, waterproof mascara and eyeliner. Use blush and foundation. The point isn't to look super made-up but for it not to fade.
4. Photo development: is your photographer developing your photos or do you get a CD of photos that you have to develop? I put aside $200 for that.
5. Scrapbooking: well, you might not be into scrapbooking but if you are, you might want to consider the following items: a scrapbook (or two, or three) for the wedding, scrapbooking paper, scrapbooking stickers or embellishments, acid-free pen for journalling, and the photos.
6. Cash bar at the reception: that was for everyone else, right? No. It includes you too.
7. Honeymoon night: where are you staying? do you have a hotel room? And if you booked one, you still need to feed yourself while you are there too.
8. Gas in the car: you'd be surprised how this takes up money while you are going around running wedding errands. 
9. Bachelorette Party: depending on what you have planned, you may buy food or other items. I spent $350 at my bachelorette party--I won't say on what.
10. Craft items: if you are making things yourself, you may notice that you keep buying double-sided tape rollers, acid-free pens, and other items. You may also need scissors, an eraser, pencils, glue dots and other craft items.
11. Postage: you will need stamps to send most of your invitations and then again for your thank you notes. Depending on how many you are sending, this could set you back at least $100. You may also want to note that if your invitation package is heavy with lots of paper in it, you may have to weigh each one of them as the stamp might not be enough.
12. The Bride's Kit: any of the items in the bride's kit that you don't already have (or, can't find and don't care if you buy another one).

The extras:

1. Travel: do you have to fly to and from your wedding? We did so plane tickets were a factor along with additional expenses like meals and taxi fare.
2. Spa treatments: you can indulge in a spa treatment before or after your wedding day. Some people do: I wish that I had.
3. Gifts for your parents: our gift to our parents was a slideshow with photos that we had scanned from their photo albums but you may want to buy something special for your parents on this day.
4. Hair and make-up for your mom: I paid for my mom's hair and make-up on that day so that she didn't have to stress about it. She looked really great too!
5. Manicures and pedicures: as I mentioned above, you may already have some of these items in your arsenal of beauty products. If not, you, your girls and your mom could all go for manicures and pedicures. Expect for it to set you back at least $50 per person but it's a really nice treat. It helps you destress too!

The Bride's Kit

Here's one for you brides: what should you carry around with you in your purse on your wedding day? You know, the one that you will have someone carry around on your wedding day with all of the emergency items? Here is what I had (and some of the items that I wish that I had on that day):

In the main pocket:

1. A stain remover pen. Just be careful, some have added dyes or could dye the wedding dress.
2. Tylenol or Advil, whatever you use for headaches or pain management.
3. A copy of the ceremony program.
4. A list of phone numbers: the church, photographer, transportation, florist and/or decorator, reception location, hotel, etc. Everyone involved in the wedding.
5. Also, a map with directions to and from each wedding venue. If you don't use it, your driver might.
6. A cell phone.
7. A bottle of water with a tight-fitting cap. No leaks today!
8. A snack like trail mix.
9. Cash for any payments that have to be done on this day or for emergency items, like food or water that needs to be bought on site.
10. A camera with a charged battery and empty SD card to take pictures during the day. You might not take these pictures, but others can use it.
11. Any medication that you or your groom takes regularly. Although, this doesn't mean bring your vitamins with you.
12. A small lint roller (if not for you, for the groom).
13. A travel-sized package of kleenexes or homemade handkerchiefs.
14. Cough drops.

In a small pencil case, in the purse:

1. Long-lasting lipstick. Preferably, the one that you will be wearing on this day.
2. Waterproof mascara.
3. Concealor.
4. Eyeliner, if you are wearing any.
5. Chapstick or lip gloss.
6. Safety pins.
7. Bobby pins.
8. A small can of strong hairspray.
9. A comb.
10. Spare earrings that match your dress.
11. Polysporin.
12. A bug bite treating stick.
13. A nail clipper.
14. A tweezer.

Optional items:

1. A travel-sized container of hand lotion.
2. A travel-sized spritzer of scented body spray.
3. A travel-sized spritzer of glasses cleaner and a cloth - if you wear glasses, this might be a necessity.
4. Depending on the season of your wedding, you may need allergy pills. If you are highly allergic to certain things, then bring an epi-pen.
5. If you are very particular about your nails, bring your nail polish with you to fix any chips. I didn't care but some girls do. Just make sure that it doesn't spill or get on your dress when you reapply.

10 things I learned from my wedding

Well, I just got married and now I have lots of interesting tidbits to share with you. Some of you will laugh at this, but I thought that all I had to do was walk down the aisle and smile. I learned some new things on that day. This is for all of you girls who want to get married some day!

1. That wedding dress is HOT: Ok, if you are getting married in a poufy dress like I did, you will be very warm under that dress. It felt like I was wearing four wool sweaters over my legs the whole time. I wasn't cold at all despite the fact that it was a Fall day.
2. You will cry: I kept saying that I wouldn't cry at my wedding and I couldn't understand why brides did. Well, I did. Almost the whole evening. I cried that the food was so good, or during the speeches. I cried during the slideshow and during pictures. I laughed so hard that I cried.
3. Your wedding dress will not be clean: seriously, just try keeping that dress clean. It is impossible. People step on it and leave their shoe marks, you drag it on the ground and the flower petals leave stains on it. Your dress will not be clean unless you have walk around with a personal dry cleaner.
4. Bring food to the photo session: in all of the rush, we forgot to bring food with us and there was five hours between the ceremony and the reception. I regretted that in my post on what I would have done differently. Seriously, bring food. Everyone is hungry.
5. Your reception list will change: I had to submit a head count for my reception but even then, some people cancel at the last minute or some decide that they will go after the fact. 
6. Do all of the fun stuff at the beginning of the reception: when you plan a reception, do all of the fun stuff during the first two to three hours. We had our meal and then had the speeches, attendant gifts and a slideshow. At that point, anyone who went to bed early or had to go home to their kids left but still had a fabulous time leaving the rest of us hooligans to dance and mingle around. We all had fun, but don't plan the fun stuff at 11pm.
7. You will not sleep for days - before and after the wedding: I seriously couldn't sleep for two days before the wedding because my brain would not shut off, then (surprisingly) I couldn't sleep for two days after the wedding either! It was such a big event that my brain was still processing everything that had happened during those nights.  
8. Expect the unexpected: I thought that I had planned everything but my wedding started 15 minutes late because we were waiting on some very important guests. Just go with it. Everything still turned out fine. Expect a few bumps and don't take it personally.
9. Nothing will be perfect, either: don't expect for your make-up and hair to still look perfect 5 hours later, that is, after the ceremony and photo shoot. Some things won't stay in place (like bobby pins or your veil) and some things you'll just have to take off (like your shoes). I went barefoot for the entire reception.
10. It is the busiest, most stressful, and most enjoyable day of your life: I have never had such a good day in my life. I had the most fun anyone could ever have in a single day. I laughed, I cried, I jumped for joy.

10 Things I wish I had done on my wedding day

Well, we all look back and say, "I wish that I had done that!" or "I wish that I had thought of that!". Perhaps these tidbits will help anyone who is about to get married so that they might not forget these things and learn from my mistakes.

1. I wish that I had brought food to the photo session: I feel really bad about this one. One of my matrons of honour was 38 weeks pregnant and she couldn't eat until the reception because I forgot the food in the fridge. We were all a little hungry, but she needed to eat.
2. I wish that I had painted my toenails: I totally forgot that for the garter toss that my dress would be lifted up a bit, that is, enough to expose my toenails. I wish that I had painted them! I thought that I wouldn't need to. No one noticed, but I did.
3. I wish that I had reapplied my make-up before the reception: I didn't reapply the make-up and come the end of the night, my lipstick was gone. I didn't take a look at my hair either. I wish that I had. Not that any pictures didn't turn out right, but I'm a girl. I just want to look good.
4. I wish that I hadn't worn pantyhose: man, I was so happy to get those off. My dress had a built-in corset so that combined with pantyhose did not make me a happy camper. Word of caution: just break in your shoes more.
5. I wish that I had charged my camera battery: the battery was gone taking a picture of me getting into the limo to go to the church. I wish that I had charged that battery, and even had a second one ready (also fully charged) for someone to take pictures at the ceremony, photo shoot and the reception. That sounds like doubling the photographer pictures, but I had to wait 6 weeks for photos from the photographer so at least I would have something on my camera.
6. I wish that I had drank more water that day: along with the wish to bring food, I wish that I had brought water as well. Everyone was so thirsty that day and we really noticed it the day after the wedding.
7. I wish that I had forced myself to get more sleep: as I mentioned in another post, I didn't sleep for two days leading up to the wedding and two days afterwards. I wish that I had taken sleeping pills or something for those days because it really caught up with me the whole week after the wedding.
8. I wish that I had finished a few things well ahead of time: for example, we had a slideshow. I wish that we had finished that (along with some other crafts) at least a month before the wedding instead of at the last minute. It was a stress that we didn't need.
9. I wish that I had spent more time with people at the reception: don't get me wrong, we had an absolutely fabulous reception, but I wish that I had mingled more with guests before the slideshow. Some people had to leave early before we got a chance to sit and talk with them and I feel like I didn't really see them or spend time with them. I'm glad that they were there though!
10. I wish that I had a glass of water at the ceremony: we're only in the church for 30 minutes, right? Well, I had a coughing fit and no water! My mom passed me a cough drop but I had a hard time keeping the cough down and paying attention to the priest so I really wish that I had brought a bottle of water with us. If I didn't use it in the church, I could have referred to point 6 of this list.

Stamped envelopes

I made these envelopes for my wedding invitations. They are exceptionally easy, just hard on the wrist and kind of monotonous after a little while. What I recommend is to make this while you are watching a great movie. You will be done by the time that it is over.

To make this project, you will need one really great large stamp, a stamping ink pad in the color of your choice, and your envelopes. I bought the Environment Woodstock envelopes from Paperworks, size A-6.

I looked at the envelope and decided on where I wanted to place the stamp, in this case, the bottom left corner of the front of the envelope. To create these envelopes, firmly place the stamp on the stamp pad to ink it. Then hover the stamp over the corner of the envelope and firmly press down. It helps to use a hard surface like a book for this so that it does the work, instead of your wrist. Lift the stamp carefully to reveal your image.

Estimated time for this project: about 2 hours. I had 250 envelopes that were finished by the end of a long movie.

Notes:

• After about 50 envelopes, my wrist hurt so I changed my angle so that I pressed down with my entire palm instead of just one side.