Invitations

• Mail your wedding invitations six to eight weeks before your wedding with a request to respond two to three weeks before the wedding.
• The invitation should include: Who, What, When, and Where. Plus directions and a map (especially if ceremony and reception are in two different places).
• The RSVP card should include: Number attending, RSVP date, Pre-stamped return envelope.
• The RSVP card should be pre-stamped, so the invitees need simply Indicate whether they are coming, and how many are attending, and then easily pop it in the mail.

Photographer

• Make sure to give your photographer a list of the pictures you would like BEFORE the wedding to end up with pictures you want and to avoid distraction during the wedding day.
• Ask to see the photographer’s past work.

Food

• Be sure to inquire with your food service provider about sales tax and gratuities. These fees often are not included in the per person price, and can substantially change your per person budget.

Children

• If you choose to invite children to the wedding, and if the budget and space allows it, hire a babysitter and provide a designated room for them during the reception. Make sure that there are games available for children of different ages. Special food trays, video or DVD player with a selection of short movies, and music just for the kids, are a good way to keep children occupied. This will ensure that their parents and the couple can enjoy the festivities without disruptions that the little ones bring about.

Beauty

• The day of the wedding is not the time to experiment with cut, color or make up! If you’re going to try a completely different look for your big day, do so a few months in advance to help you finalize your decision. What could be worse than hair you hate on the day of the wedding!
• Wedding day makeup should always appear soft, sheer and natural, but still be enough to show up in a flattering way in photos.
• The bridesmaids themselves are responsible for purchasing their own dresses, shoes, and accessories.

Flowers

• Preserve your bouquet by refrigerating it as soon as possible after the ceremony. If you take it to a floral preservationist within two days it can be preserved to remember the memories of your wedding day.
• Popular wedding flowers for each season:
  Spring: tulips, lilacs, iris, freesia, lily of the valley.
  Summer: Roses, lilies, orchids, daisies, stephanotis.
  Fall: Mums, dahlias, seasonal berries.
  Winter: Christmas greens, amaryllis.

Marriage License

• Apply for the license at least three days before your wedding.
• Christine Soster, Deputy Clerk of Orphans Court in Bellefonte says, “Once a couple applies for a marriage license, they legally have to get married within 60 days or they will have to go through the process again.”
• Bring $50 for the application fee.
• Make sure both bride and groom are present when applying for the license.Honeymoon
• If you are planning to go on a honeymoon right after your wedding, consider staying at or close to your wedding location at least for another day to avoid a tiring long trip.
• Don’t use your married name when ordering your plane tickets if you plan to travel immediately after the wedding. Your driver’s license and passport will still have your maiden name, and it is crucial that your name is consistent on all your documents when traveling.