Signature Drinks: Another Way To Brand Your Wedding!

Don’t underestimate the option of having a signature drink (or a few) at your wedding!  This is a great way to brand your wedding in a memorable way!  Martha Stewart posted many ideas for cocktails that would taste wonderful and leave a signature stamp on your big day.  Also, The Knot has an incredible index of signature cocktails!  Most consist of simply blending traditional drinks with a new spin.  Many combine a fruity flavor with a mint, basil or herb.

It’s a beautiful thing, because these drinks can be selected by what goes with your color scheme if you so choose, as many of them are just as great to look at.  From floating fruit to curled lemon zest, mint or basil leaves, celery (in a Watermelon Bloody Mary).  These signature drinks will be an unforgettable staple in your wedding.

I suggest you find concoctions that you and your groom love (since the day is about capturing your personalities and sharing).  The beautiful thing is, this isn’t like the food, where you have to worry about everyone liking your choice; because there will be other options for guests who aren’t interested in your novelty drinks.

This is also a wonderful idea for those who have an open bar, but don’t want to splurge on every drink option; it’s increasingly common to offer guests limited options.  Having unlimited beer, wine, and your signature cocktail is a great way to not skimp out but also save some of that moolah you’re trying to spread around your wedding budget.

Don’t feel excluded from this, those of you having an alcohol-free wedding.  There are plenty of virgin drinks you can put together.  Consider all your fruit juice options with fruit or herbal garnish, or even iced coffee mixtures!  You still have plenty of options.

Rules of Engagement: Engagement Party Etiquette!

You said yes, and now a celebration is on the horizon!  There are a few important notes of etiquette for your engagement party.  Don’t get worried, they’re not too meticulous!

The first one is pretty simple:  Have your engagement party soon after the engagement, when the exciting news is still fresh!  To try to announce your engagement at the party is quite a feat now, since social media pretty much has everything in our lives captured and spreading quickly; if you managed to keep it a secret to announce at the party, make sure you have a good excuse/reason for gathering everyone together.

It used to be that it was considered rude to invite anyone to a pre-wedding event that will not be invited to the wedding; but now that more people are doing smaller, intimate weddings or flying to a beach to exchange vows, it’s not necessarily the rule anymore.  If tradition is something you’re pursuing, make your engagement party a smaller affair to be safe (if you don’t already have your guest list hammered out.  If you do, invite accordingly.).  Since you will not be hosting this event, make sure you discuss this with the host/hostess.

Another important note is that an engagement party is not a gift-giving affair.  Your preferences for gift or registry should not be mentioned on the invitation, and any gifts that you do receive should be opened in private.  Inevitably there will be some who want to give gifts, so it is appropriate to make sure and tell your hostess where you are registered so they can relay the information asked.  Bottom line is that it’s not a time when gifts are to be expected, so including your registry in any way besides word of mouth might send the opposite message.  If it’s a small event, most people wouldn’t bring more than flowers, wine, or another hostess-style gift.

At a traditional engagement party hosted by the bride's parents, the etiquette for toasts is: First, the bride's father proposes a toast to the bride and her fiance. Then, the fiance toasts his bride-to-be and her parents, and then his own parents. At informal events hosted by friends, anyone can make a toast at any time. Certainly, the engaged couple will want to toast the host.

The last suggested bit of protocol would be that the bride and groom get a gift to thank the host of the party.  This is the beginning of the monumental process and is a memory you will treasure, so that in combination with the work that they put in to organize the celebration is something to show your gratitude for.  It doesn’t call for anything extravagant; the best kind of gift would be one that you know is a gift of interest to them (theater tickets, tickets to see their favorite team or concert, etc.).

That’s not so bad, right?  Enjoy your celebration!  Since you won’t be throwing this party, if you do have expectations or preferences, be sure to let your host know (don’t be a control freak, but if it’s related to the guest list, size, or even if you want a more simple/outdoor kind of thing, let them know).  This way you can sit back and enjoy the party and planning without any worries.

Ain’t No Party Like a Wedding Party, ‘Cause a Wedding Party Don’t Stop!

 As we’ve said before, hospitality is one of the most memorable things in a well-planned wedding!  One great form of hospitality for out-of-town guests and the wedding party is giving plenty of opportunities for meet and greet.  Weddings can be potentially awkward for people you’ve known forever separate from your social circle.  Be it that long-lost junior high best friend that came all the way to share in your special time, or the estranged aunt that divorced your uncle but came to support you, it’s nice to give your guests opportunities to do a little mingling and get acquainted with a few people before the wedding day, and maybe to hang out with in between wedding week events.

If you’re doing a summer wedding, a pool party or barbecue is a great addition to the traditional bachelorette/bachelor parties, and rehearsal dinner.  No pressure, no agenda besides to have a good time with the people who love you.  If it’s fall, try a bonfire.  If it’s spring, try a barbecue at a park.  If none of those are appealing, have it at someone’s house.  The beauty of an event like this is you won’t have to plan it.  There are almost always people in your family or close circle of friends waiting to host something like this for your wedding week. 

My favorite wedding week memory (besides the actual wedding, of course) is a brunch that a lifelong friend and her mother hosted for me at their house.  She made some fancy French toast and served a nice meal, also had some homemade mini-tarts that looked and tasted amazing!  It was for female out-of-town guests and my bridesmaids.  They went around the room, one-by-one, as the hostess requested, and explained to everyone how we met and how we became so close.  It was the most touching moment of my wedding week; the moment that, given the chance to not be in charge and not have to be concerned about any details, I was able to slow down and take in the love of the people who had traveled across the country and stopped plans just to celebrate an exciting time in my life. 

You don’t have to go around the room and make everyone answer questions; but even just having everyone together with no other reason than to have fun will warm your heart and give your guests an opportunity to get comfortable with one another, since they can’t exactly hang out with you all week.  It’s also a great opportunity to thank everyone who means the most to you for putting time aside and traveling to be with you at such a special time, let individuals know (publicly or privately) how special they are to you, and even to give out your wedding party gifts.

Try a meet and greet fun event the night everyone flies in, bachelorette/bachelor parties the following evening, a spa day for bridesmaid and any out-of-towners who’d like to join, and then of course the rehearsal dinner… all leading up to the wedding day!  Include their wedding week itinerary (with dates, times, location/maps, and attire for each event) in the gift bag/basket waiting in their hotel rooms, or even add to the magic of your week by creating a faux newspaper circled around you, as a couple, and the events of your week!  

Let IntriCutz work with you to create the stationery and invitations for your wedding week events; your plans and ideas in addition to our resources will make a beautiful package to present your guests with, to organize the agenda for your week.

Official News: Kelly Clarkson Got Married Over The Weekend!

Kelly Clarkson confirms on Twitter that she DID get married to Brandon over the weekend, and she even included photos!

They got married at Blackberry Farm, a luxury resort in the Smoky Mountains in Walland, Tennessee. She calls it the “most beautiful place ever” in her tweet; we agree, the beauty is undeniable!

 After getting engaged in December of 2012, they’d originally planned a 200 guest backyard wedding, then changed their minds in August.  But after obtaining their marriage license together on October 18, we knew a wedding was on the way!

Clarkson wore a gorgeous flowing lace Temperley London gown and a stunning headpiece by Maria Elena. 

Kelly married into a big family — Brandon’s stepmother is Reba McEntire and he has two children from a previous marriage, and it will only continue growing.  "I already told him that when we're past the wedding, I want a baby," Kelly told Access Hollywood. 

Brilliant Guest Book Idea: Book of Engagement Photos

Guest Book idea that we LOVE:  Make a book out of your engagement shoot and have guests sign that instead of a generic guest book.  This lowers the odds of your guest book collecting dust in a box in your attic, and makes it more likely to land on your coffee table!  You can do this through your photographer, or if your photographer doesn’t offer anything like this, you can get your copyright release and head to Paper Cotorie online and design it up yourself!

Source:  Brushfire Photography
Photo Credit:  Katelyn James Photography

Bridal Beauty- Beautiful Jim Hjelm Dress

Just HAD to share this loveliness!  This gorgeous bridal gown is by Jim Hjelm, and the photography was done by Ave Nocturna Photography!

Pre-Viewing Photo Ideas!

More and more couples are seeing each other on their wedding day before the ceremony. Some set up a special viewing with their photographer and have a sweet (well photo-documented) moment.

There are still plenty who want the old fashioned tradition of not seeing each other until the bride enters and walks down the aisle.  So what happens if you want the best of both options?  There’s a wonderful solution.  Below are a few examples of photos where the bride and groom didn’t see each other before the wedding, but still managed to take some pictures together.  There’s a lot of creative room to run with this idea.

Do you want to wait to see your groom until the wedding, or do you like the idea of a private moment set up for the two of you before the wedding?

Blended Seating!

Seating at wedding ceremonies can be tricky, when done traditionally.  If the groom and bride aren’t from the same place and the wedding is in the hometown of the bride, her side will tend to be a lot more full than his.  For example, my husband and I.  He’s from Brooklyn, New York, I’m from Springfield, Missouri, and we met in school in Memphis, Tennessee.  No matter where we had our wedding, it was going to be hard for lots of people we loved to get there.

Well, thankfully one of the traditions that has fallen to the way-side is the one where seating is according to the bride’s side and groom’s side.  Mixing up the friends and family of the bride and groom not only keeps you from running into the awkward imbalanced proportions, but it also blends everyone.  I love this idea because it is an even-greater representation of two becoming one, and the merging of family and circles of friends.

The Anti-Guest List: Be On The Same Page

Upon first mention, it sounds harsh to talk about who you DON’T want at your wedding.  When it comes to choosing the guest list, it’s much easier to just count people as casualties of the trimming process than to admit that there are some that actually are blacklisted.  However, if there are people that you really aren’t okay with putting on the guest list, you need to be clear about that with your groom and any family members who may want to include them.

Of course, it can be an uncomfortable topic, but it’s crucial to your sanity to get it out of the way early, so nothing unexpected pops up.  Your wedding should be a day where you are surrounded by the people who love and support you; and you shouldn’t have to worry about anyone who has other thoughts or motives.  Have open dialogue with your groom about who you won’t be comfortable with at your wedding.

Common roles that populate this list:

1.  Exes.  Unless you and your spouse are both comfortable with exes and their current role in your lives, this can be very uncomfortable.  How often does anyone sit at their ex’s wedding and think about how beautiful the couple is, or how they’re meant to be?  Discuss this honestly, because nobody deserves that uncomfortable situation at their wedding.

2.  Friends/Family Who Don’t Agree With The Wedding.  Whether it’s your friend who has talked bad about your groom since the day she met him, or a friend of his; you don’t need to invite people to your wedding who clearly aren’t in favor of it.

3.  Friends/Family Who Are Unstable Or Disruptive.  This is a tough one to put as a general group, because not everyone has someone like this in their family, or in their life. If you have a family member or friend who is an alcoholic or has drug issues or anything that causes them to make scenes or disrupt gatherings, you are entitled to leaving them off of your guest list.  It’s touchy, but it’s a choice you may have to make sometimes to keep the peace and protect your day.

*When it comes to family, consider carefully.  As much as situations come where you don’t feel like you would even want them there, remember that families go through seasons, and you’ll always remember whether or not they were there.  Give them a chance to support you, and if they make it clear that they aren’t supportive, then you are validated in not inviting them; just give it serious consideration.

When it comes to your soon-to-be-in-laws, let that be your spouse’s decision.  Even if his sister has hated you since day one and that’s uncomfortable, let it be his decision.  To show respect to his family (especially when you feel that they don’t deserve it) is to show respect to him.  Also, wouldn’t you rather be the sister-in-law that was gracious and forgiving than the wife who separated the family?  Even if you would be validated in taking that step, resist, because you don’t want that kind of resentment.

As for anyone else (besides family), I say it’s YOUR day, and don’t invite anyone based on obligation or fear of hurting feelings.  Weddings are expensive, they are important, and (for some) once-in-a-lifetime, so don’t let anyone else’s feelings override those of yours and your groom’s.

A Little More Evolving, A LOT More To Offer!

As we’ve shared recently about the importance of evolving, here’s one of our newest developments.  Ta dahhhhh!!!  New note cards!  We’ve had custom note cards/thank you notes for your post-wedding stationery for quite some time; BUT they were never like the ones we’ve just come out with.

I don’t have a picture of the former ones at the current moment, so I’ll just tell you about them.  They were lovely, but unlike the rest of our products, the artwork was 100% printed.  We are best known for the unique laser cut, layered nature of our designs, and our note cards were never a reflection of that... until now.

We are pleased to present a different form of a note card, one that carries your wedding design and them beyond the big day, and carries our best qualities into your notes!  Enjoy!

This is our “Touch of Italy” invitation (so you can see the initial design) and note card!

Want to see more?  Visit the IntriCutz website.

Inspiration: Vintage Carnival

Featuring our IntriCutz Carousel Design Items (invitation, response card, table card, place card, menu, and favor box), this is just some inspiration for your fun vintage carnival theme.  It’s easy to build around with cute ideas for your food themes and displays and photo booth ideas.  Not for everyone, but it just may be the perfect blend of fun and beautiful for your wedding!

Glass jars to display colorful candies, tickets that can be found in party stores or ordered online, sparklers for your sunset/evening departure, and let IntriCutz complete your theme. This amazing cake was done by Catherine Scott, UK.  This theme opens you up to a broad spectrum of bright colors and a whole lot of fun ways to incorporate your theme, from carnival foods and designs (like cotton candy) to the incredible photo booth options the theme gives to you.  The beauty is, everything that goes along with the theme contributes visually to make it very engaging and put-together!  Want more ideas for this theme?  Just google “carnival wedding”!

High-There Wedding Shoe: A Glamorous Bride’s Footwear!

This shoe is one I fell in love with from Badgley Mischka.  Every bride needs to feel beautiful from head to TOES and this shoe would showcase those beautiful mootsies of yours.  Your pedi will have never looked classier.  

Check out MyGlassSlipper.com to see more designer bridal shoes with this level of class.

First Pick: Solving Your Bestie Drama!

For some women, your Maid of Honor is an obvious pick.  You’ve never considered anyone but your sister to be next to you on your big day.  For others, you’ve had the same best friend since pre-school and there’s just no question.

For some of us, our paths are not so clear.  Between your high school best friend, your college best friend, and your current roommate that has been along for the ride of your whole relationship with your soon-to-be-husband... there is going to be a trail of heartbreak no matter who you pick.

That was very similar to my situation.  There were plenty of people in my wedding who mattered to me, from friends I grew up with in church, to my best friend from high school, to my more recent roommate and best friend.  My first instinct was to go with my roommate/current bestie, then she told me she was pregnant.  My high school best friend also ended up being pregnant.  If I had chosen one of those two, everyone would have understood, knowing how close I was to them.  So with them out of the Wedding Party pool, hurt feelings after picking my MOH was a sure thing, since many of them had a deep history with me and maybe felt like they were next in line.  Crowning my Maid of Honor wasn’t a natural process for me.

So what if, like me, your pick for Maid of honor falls through?  Is it proper etiquette to ask someone else if your first string cancels?  There’s no clear rule about this.  I did.  It was early in the game though, so it wasn’t like we’d been through all the pre-wedding events with a different Maid of Honor.  I feel like, if done right, it isn’t hurtful.  I think the key is probably to have open dialogue about it so it’s not a weird, elephant in the room situation.  One thing I did, is I still included my pregnant friend who couldn’t play the part in as much as possible, including choosing her to do the toast (which worked out nice since my Maid of Honor isn’t the type to feel comfortable speaking in front of a big crowd), and she helped me get ready.  Since it was an open subject, she was still able to play a big role in the behind-the-scenes too.  Everybody wins!

To the left is my (pregnant) friend and former roommate, Kristen, doing my makeup and helping me get ready for the day.






This is Genna.  She was my Maid of Honor.  Another great friend.  Someone I had lived with, that always kept me laughing.









Here are all my bridesmaids!








This is Kristen again, making a toast at the reception.  Probably the most heartfelt and meaningful toast ever given.  I was so glad that she was still involved.




It’s important to pick who you want to play that role.  Your Maid/Matron of Honor plays a big part in it all-being there for the planning, organizing your bridal showers and bachelorette party, and being by your side for whatever you need on your wedding day.  Don’t pick it based on who you feel people expect you to.  Pick someone who loves you and understands your personality, and recognizes any moment you need her.

If choosing is causing panic attack, there may be a solution:  Don’t choose!  A good friend of mine and her groom decided to not choose “Best”s, and keep a level playing field.  Between her sister-in-law, her roommate of 3 years +, a friend she’s grown up with, a long distance friend, and a friend she’s made in the past year or two, there’s obviously different levels of involvement; and she knows that.  But this way, she doesn’t have to choose one “best” if she has several, and no one spends her wedding feeling like someone was chosen for a role they felt better fitted for.  As the friend who grew up with her, I really see where this decision kept her pretty stress-free in the bridesmaid rivalry department!