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Archive for category Weddingology

To E-mail or Not E-mail

Feb 22

Posted by Seresa Carpenter in Weddingology | No Comments

e-mail

We now live in a world where e-mail is one the fastest, easiest ways to communicate, but does that mean you should use it for your wedding?   The following is a list of when and where e-mail should and should not be used.

When Not to Use E-mail:

For  Wedding Invitations. It is not appropriate to e-mail or facebook invitations to your wedding guests or your close friends.  The only exception is in rushed circumstances.  For example; there has been a shift in health, you are moving overseas.  Even though electronic invitations are cheaper, they are never the best route.

For thank you notes. ALWAYS write a hand written thank you note for the gifts you receive.   If your guest took the time to pick out a present for you, then always take the time to thank them properly.

When discussing personal or thorny issues. No matter what wedding drama goes on, never hash it out over e-mail.  Keep in mind e-mail is never private and can often be misinterpreted.

When groundwork has not been properly laid. Before you send out group e-mails make sure everyone is on the same page.

When to Use E-mail:

Save the Dates. It is perfectly acceptable to send out an informal notice to friends and family about your wedding date.

Wedding RSVPs. You can always give the option to your guests to RSVP to your e-mail, but still send out a formal RSVP card.

Invitation to informal wedding parties. For your bridal showers or engagement party e-mailed invitations can be an acceptable alternative.  Be sure not to send out group e-mails, send out e-mails with their specific names on it.

Information on Lodging. If your guest list is web-connected sending out an e-mail with lodging, directions and a map is acceptable.

Inspiration Courtesy of Emily Post Wedding Etiquette

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All Things Flowers

Feb 8

Posted by Bianca Newton in In the Know, Weddingology | No Comments

Happy February SJE fans! Yes, it’s February, the month of love and soon you may be receiving flowers. Have you ever found yourself wondering about the different flower terms? If you are knee deep in wedding planning or just starting you will probably hear many floral terms during the planning process. It isn’t necessary to get a PhD in flowers before getting married, however these are some terms that your wedding planner or floral designer might use.

Types of Bouquets:

Cascade
A waterfall-like spill of blooms, often composed of ivy and long-stemmed flowers, that is wired to cascade gracefully over the bride’s hands.
Nosegays
Small, round bouquets, approximately 16 to 18 inches in diameter, composed of densely packed round flowers, greenery, and occasionally herbs. Nosegays are wired or tied together.
Tossing
This copy of the bridal bouquet is used solely for the bouquet toss.
Tussy mussy
From the Victorian era, a tussy mussy is a posy carried in a small, metallic, hand-held vase. Today, the term is often used in reference to the holder itself.

Other Flowers or Arrangements:

Fish bowl
Low centerpiece style that consists of flowers clustered in a glass bowl.

Huppah

A wedding canopy decorated with flowers, that is an integral part of the traditional Jewish ceremony.
Ikebana
Japanese-style flower arrangements that are aesthetically in unison with space, size, earth, and air.

Photo Courtesy of Style Me Pretty

Photo Courtesy of Style Me Pretty

This post was inspired by The Knot.com

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Don’t Forget to Say Thank You

Feb 1

Posted by Bianca Newton in Weddingology, Weddings & Social | 1 Comment

 

 

Happy Monday and Happy February! We are certainly zipping right through 2010 at a fabulous pace. Today we examine the all important “Thank You” of wedding etiquette.

 
Don’t email. Even though we live in an age of instant communication via social networking, cell phones, and emails, there is nothing more personal than the handwritten thank-you note. Don’t send thank-you notes via email.

 
Don’t procrastinate. Ideally you will send thank-you notes as soon as gifts arrive. It will seem like a much easier task if you are not trying to send a hundred at one time. However, the accepted standard is to send thank-you notes within three months of receiving each gift.

 
Do thank everyone. This includes people who literally put a gift in your hand no matter how much you thanked them in person. Yes, you should send thank-yous to the gift givers at your shower. (Even though you probably thanked them as you ripped open the gift)

 
Do make it personal. How many times have you read, Dear customer or Dear friend?   That’s highly impersonal.  Try to divide the thank-yous among your fiancée so that you are writing to the people you actually know.   This way you can add something unique to each person.  Even though the note will be coming from both of you it will seem more thoughtful.

Tips inspired by Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette Fifth Edition

Photos Courtesy of Cards Direct.com

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Indian Wedding Traditions

Jan 25

Posted by Bianca Newton in Weddingology | No Comments

Photo Courtesy of the Knot Photo Courtesy of the Knot

Good morning and welcome to the last full week of January 2010! Whew, time sure flies when you’re having fun. The Simply Jubilee team met so many beautiful brides of all backgrounds and cultures at the Bridal soiree this weekend.  It’s an awesome pleasure to live in an international city such as Houston.  Our rich population helped to inspire today’s entry, Indian wedding traditions.

 
Indian wedding traditions have a long history with meaning woven into every detail. Here we explore some of these beautiful traditions and what they mean.

 
The Ceremonies

In India the couple doesn’t choose their wedding date. The wedding date is chosen using a priest, fortune teller, astrologer or wise family member. This lucky day is chosen using factors like birthdays and phases of the moon. If this day falls on a weekday many couples in the US will hold two wedding ceremonies; one with close friends and family during the week and one larger celebration on the weekend.

Mehndi Party
The mehndi painting party usually happens two or three days before an Indian ceremony. Henna is painted on the female friends and family of the bride. The artist also paints the bride’s hands and feet to protect them from evil. The darker the henna, the more luck the couple will have.

Agni
In Hindu ceremonies a fire is lit and the officiant gives thanks to the fire god, Agni. In a Hindu tradition called saptapadi, the couple will take seven steps around this fire.

Tying it All Together
The hasthagranthi is a Hindu wedding tradition which involves typing the couple’s hands together with string. This is followed by Shakhohar, when the parents place their hands on the couple’s to represent their union as family. Then the couple is wrapped in a scarf to show their unity as husband and wife in a custom called gathbandhan.

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The Second Line Defined

Jan 18

Posted by Bianca Newton in Weddingology | No Comments

Photo Courtesy of Style Me Pretty.com Photo Courtesy of Style Me Pretty.com

The planners here at Simply Jubilee Events have been privileged to plan several weddings in New Orleans over the past few years. This year will be no different! Many couples love to incorporate a “second line” march into their reception processional.

The “second line” refers to the participants that are not part of the “main line” of the band. Although the tradition came from celebrating the life of a loved one who passed away, the “second line” has become a way to celebrate many joyous events such as weddings. The most common items brides use for their celebration are the parasol and handkerchief. The latter being a popular wedding guest memento because of its size.

The parasol was used to shield participants from the hot southern sun while dancing down the steamy streets of New Orleans. Eventually they became works of art and certain “second liners” became well known based on how well they could twirl one.

Handkerchiefs gained popularity as the crowds grew. Onlookers who wanted to be part of the fun only needed to pull a handkerchief from the jacket of their coat or handbag. So, Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler (Let the Good Times Roll) when planning your swoon-worthy wedding!

 

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The Wedding Cake

Jan 11

Posted by Seresa Carpenter in Weddingology, Weddings & Social | No Comments

 

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The wedding cake plays a very important role in the reception, but its meaning in today’ wedding  is somewhat different than in the past. For instance, the Romans used to break the cake over a bride’s head to symbolize fertility. During the medieval ages, guests brought scones and biscuits and piled them on top of each other. The bride and groom would then kiss over it in order to bring their marriage good luck. In the Seventeenth Century, the French began to stack wheat buns and coat them in icing, which is the origin of the wedding cake as we now know it. Not that long ago it was an acceptable standard to have a white tiered wedding cake; however now cakes are an expression of each individual couple. What does the wedding cake symbolize to you in 2010?

 

Photos Courtesy of The Knot

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The Kiss

Dec 21

Posted by Christina Tamez in Weddingology | No Comments

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The tradition of the wedding kiss is something so special, which holds an equally special tradition many aren’t aware of. Although the couple may kiss after reciting their wedding vows, the first kiss as a married couple contains a historical meaning as well. Not only is this of course, a way to demonstrate their love for one another, but in Roman times, the kiss was actually viewed as a legal bonding that sealed contracts and in other cultures the kiss also symbolized the exchanging of souls between the bride and groom.

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Bridal Shower Etiquette

Nov 23

Posted by Seresa Carpenter in Weddingology | No Comments

bridalshower

 

Along with your wedding usually comes wedding showers. Today we are featuring some Do’s and Don’ts of wedding showers inspired by Emily post’s Wedding Etiquette.

Don’t force any of your friends to throw you a shower. No matter how bad you want to have one, they are quite expensive and being in your wedding might already be costing them a pretty penny.

Don’t invite people to your shower that you’re not inviting to your wedding. 

Do send thank you notes to your shower guest and make sure one is sent to the hostess or hostesses too. Some people even buy small gifts for their hostess.

Don’t invite guests to more than one shower. The only exception is if you want to invite your bridal party to each shower, but make sure to tell them not to buy you gifts for each of shower.

Do include your registry information in the envelope with your shower invitation.

 

Do you have any wedding etiquette questions you would like us to feature on our blog?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Wedding Traditions

Nov 16

Posted by Seresa Carpenter in Weddingology | No Comments

Something blue

Photo Courtesy of Weddings By Color

Taking part in the tradition of something old, new, borrowed and  blue has become almost a standard in most weddings.  We all take part in it, but where did it come from? 

It is a popular rhyme that has been used since the Victorian times.  The “something old” is the bond that ties the bride’s family and her old life; “something new” represent the couples new life together and a future of happiness, ”something borrowed” from a happily married women is meant to bring that same happiness to the bride, “something blue” is fidelity and constancy.

Tell us some creative ways you have tied this tradition into your wedding?

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The Art of Handfasting

Jun 30

Posted by Heather Hamilton-Sims in Weddingology | No Comments

Handfasting, Weddingology, Simply Jubilee EventsHandfasting is an ancient commitment ceremony that includes a binding together of the hands of the couple with a ritual cord. Handfasting is a symbolic ceremony to honor a couple’s desire for commitment to each other; to acknowledge that their lives and their fates are now bound together. Hence the name, handfasting, which means “hand fastening” and is also the origin of the slang phrase “to tie the knot.”

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