Head Table Special Touch

Hang icicle lights under the front tablecloth at the head table to create a soft glow adding a special touch of elegance.

Table Cards

Add a fun and personal touch to your wedding day with your table cards. We created ours based on places that were important to us (Chicago, Michigan State University, etc.). Other fun ideas:

• quotes
• song lyrics
• take pictures of numbers all over town
• pictures of the two of you in different situations with the numbers
• numbered rocks
• chalk boards
• numbers on bottles of wine

or you could carry over the design from your wedding invitations for a cohesive look. You can get as creative as you would like or keep them simple and elegant. Just remember to have fun with them!

Bridesmaids Gifts

Worried about getting your bridesmaids jewelry that will only see the light of day on your wedding day?

I recommend simple yet elegant jewelry from WAR International (Women At Risk). Through purchasing their jewelry you aid woman in Thailand that were sold into slavery. So you are not only purchasing beautiful jewelry for your friends and loved ones but you are also helping a cause. Check out their gallery: http://www.warinternational.com/store/auxpage_1/

I purchased the single pearl necklaces for my wedding and I still catch my bridesmaids wearing them 2+ years after my wedding.

Wedding Shoes

This one goes out to all the brides to be that love to dance. Sure you can spend a significant amount of money to get fancy, high heeled shoes for your wedding day, but unless your dress is short I have always wondered "what's the point?"

At 5'10" I am on the taller side and even though my husband is 6'2" I didn't want to tower over him on our wedding day. I also LOVE to dance and I am a big runner so a bit of my active and practical side partnered with my floor length dress led me to the puma store to purchase my wedding shoes.

They actually have a range of white, elegant yet still sporty shoes that are perfect for your special day! My feet were so comfortable and I was able to dance the night away. Not to mention I didn't run the risk of tripping or stumbling my way down the aisle.

So if you have a long dress and like to dance I would consider checking them out. I am certainly happy I did. These shoes have gotten more wear then any other pair of wedding shoes I was considering would have.

So slip on that glass slipper Cinderella and have a ball!

Wedding Favors

Instead of getting our guests some little cheesy knickknack we decided to do something more meaningful and made a donation to the National Stroke Association, a charity near to our hearts. Knowing that it is fun for guests to receive something we decided to make chocolates to include with the donation message.

As the wedding took place in October we were able to locate leaf molds online and purchase white and dark chocolate at Michaels. I would also suggest picking up a squirt bottle to easily fill the molds with the melted chocolate.

Directions
Simply melt the chocolate and use the bottle or a spoon to fill the molds. Once the molds are filled put them in the fridge for 10 minutes to allow time for the chocolate to harden. Pop them out and repeat.

We purchased little plastic bags online to place the chocolates in. They were a huge hit!

Chocolate: White and Dark at Michaels
Squirt bottle: Michaels
Molds: http://www.customchocolateshop.com
Plastic Bags: http://www.wrapwithus.com

Photo Booth Keepsake

Have a photo booth at your wedding? Pick up a scrapbook (we got ours at Michaels as it is easy to find a coupon for there), some colored pens and glue sticks and your wedding guests can leave you a message next to their photos. We had so much fun reading all of the messages and checking out all of the pictures!

Wedding Invitations Wording

I had the hardest time determining what is proper etiquette when it came to my invitation wording. I spent so much time researching this on the Internet.

I decided to post my findings below in hopes that I can save you time and frustration. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Bride and Groom Inviting (Formal)

Together with their parents

Lisa Marie Zitzelsberger

and

Bryce Andrew Roebke

request the honour of your presence

at their marriage

on Sunday, the fourth of October

two thousand fourteen

at six o'clock in the evening

Mount Zion Church

48859 Lake Avenue

Chicago, Illinois

Bride and Groom Inviting (Informal)

Together with their parents

Jennifer Marie Hudson

and Lucas Michael Smith

invite you to their marriage

Saturday, the seventeenth of May

two thousand and eight

at half past four in the afternoon

Mt. Pleasant Country Club, Michigan

Dinner and dancing to follow

Bride and Groom's Parents Inviting (Formal)

Mark and Terrie Zitzelsberger

and

Brent and Joyce Roebke

request the honour of your presence

at the marriage of their children

Lisa Marie Roebke

and

Bryce Andrew Roebke

Saturday, the tenth of October, two thousand and nine

at two-thirty in the afternoon

St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church

Beal City, MI

Bride and Groom's Parents Inviting (Informal)

Thomas and Anne Hathaway & Christopher and Marie Michaels invite you to the wedding of their children

Jennifer Grace to Zach Lucas Michaels

Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 4:30 in the afternoon

Lakeview Inn, California

Bride's Parents Inviting (Formal)

Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Dunn

request the honour of your presence

at the marriage of their daughter

Rachel Lynn

to

Jeffrey Ryan

son of

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Luke

Saturday, the eighth of March

two thousand ten

at two o'clock in the afternoon

St. Michael’s Catholic Church

Bride's Parents Inviting (Informal)

Ryan and Emily Mason invite you to share

in the celebration of the marriage of their daughter

Veronica Marie to Oliver Johnson

Saturday, the eleventh of April

two thousand and ten at half past five in the afternoon

Park Place Country Club, Utah

Groom's Parents Inviting (Formal)

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Edward Samual

request the honour of your

presence

at the marriage of

Lindsey Lee

to their son

Nathan Michael Samual

on Saturday, the sixth of July

two thousand fourteen

at half past five o'clock in the

evening

The Historian Hotel, Club and Spa

115 North Oak Lane

Madison, Wisconsin

Reception immediately following

Groom's Parents Inviting (Informal)

Mr. and Mrs. Scott Miller request the pleasure

of your company at the marriage of

Valerie Ann Smith to their son Thomas Ryan Miller

Friday, the seventeenth of August two thousand and eight at four in the afternoon

Lakeview Inn, Illinois

Children Inviting

Mark and Teresa

invite you to celebrate

the marriage of their parents

Gloria Penn

and

John Wence

on Friday, November 14, 2014 at 7 o'clock in the evening

Rosebud Restaurant

859 Park Place

Orlando, Florida

Deceased Parent

Michael and Julia Howard

and

Robert and Silvia Stine

request the honour of your presence

at the marriage of their children

Casie Marie Howard

and

Brian Michael Smith

son of the late Jon Smith

Saturday, the tenth of September, two thousand and ten

at four in the afternoon

St. Michael's Catholic Church

Saginaw, MI

Divorced Parents

Bride and Groom

Mr. Lucas Trenton and Ms. Sara Madison

and

Mr. Stan Charleston and Ms. Lisa Martin

request the honour of your presence

at the marriage of their children

Nancy Trenton

and

Vince Charleston

on Sunday, the third of August

two thousand fourteen

at ten o'clock in the morning

Park Community Church

556 Oak Drive

Mason, Iowa

Parents of Bride

Ms. Cindy Ryan Branson

and

Mr. Ryan Ferguson Pierce

request the honour of your presence

at the marriage of their daughter

Mary Lynn Pierce

to

John Michael Collins

son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Collins

Saturday, February 8th, 2014

at five o'clock in the evening

Walnut Hills Country Club

1175 Hill Road

East Lansing, Michigan

Parents of Groom

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Miller

and Mr. Brian Benz and Mrs. Kim Johnson

request the honour of your

presence

at the marriage uniting their children

Rachel Marie Miller

and

Peter Ryan Benz

Friday, September 12, 2014

at 4 o'clock in the afternoon

Jersey Shore Club

488 Seashell Drive

Shoreline, Florida

Flip Flop Basket

Flip Flops are a good way to encourage your guests to dance all night. We had a basket out on our dance floor and they were a huge hit as the ladies were so happy to ditch their heels for a pair.

I purchased ours through Old Navy for $1 a pair.

Wine Cork Place Card Holders

Wine corks make classy and unique place card holders for your wedding or any event.

The best part is you get to drink a lot of wine to save up enough corks. You can also order wine corks in bulk online. A quick Google search will pull up several retailers.

Although a bit time consuming they are a very easy DIY project.

All you need are:

• Wine corks
• Razor blade
• Sandpaper (60 grit)

1. Start by cutting the bottom off the cork to give it a flat surface.
2. Use sandpaper to smooth the surface.
3. Cut a slit across the top of the cork in the center.

Voila!

Bathroom Baskets

Bathroom Baskets are a nice touch on your wedding day allowing your guests to freshen up and look their best!

Below is a list of potential items to include:

• Shout wipes
• Spray deodorant
• Tums
• Lotion
• Safety pins
• Lint roller
• Cough drops
• Gum, mints
• Band aids
• Tissues
• Tylenol
• Floss

Items specific to the Ladies room:

• Nail file
• Bobby pins, pony tail holders
• Tampons
• Hairspray
• Static guard

Items specific to the Men's room:

• Axe
• Mouthwash with individual cups
• Hairspray

Above is a sample of the poem that we included with our bathroom basket in the ladies room.

Recommended Wedding Vendors

Wedding Dress

• RK bridal: rkbridal.com/

Bridal Alterations

• Mary Catomy: http://bit.ly/e6H2lF

DIY Wedding Invitations

Materials

• paperandmore.com
• cardsandpockets.com

Design

• lisaroebkedesign.com/wedding.html

Reception

• St. Ives Resort: tullymoregolf.com/

Stanwood, MI

Florist

• 4 Seasons Floral: 4seasonsfloral.com

JK Photography

• jkphotographyonline.net/

Quartet con Spirito

• Weidman, MI - 989.506.8981 - QurtetManager@QuartetconSpirito.com

Rusch Entertainment

• DJ Aaron Liversedge
• ruschentertainment.com/

Silver Sand Limousine, Inc.

• silversandlimo.com

Special Occasions

• special-occasion.net/

Baran Video Productions

• baranvideo.com

The Photobooth Company

• photobooth.me/

Tips to save money on your dream wedding gown

When I first tried on my wedding gown I fell in love with it. Only problem is that it was in a bridal boutique and way out of my budgeted price range. However, I was not going to give up.

I was determined to find my dream dress at a more reasonable price. I have heard that you can get discount designer wedding gowns online but I have also heard horror stories of fake, low quality dresses. I started researching the different online bridal shops that carried my dress.

After reading several reviews and making several phone calls, and a bit of a bidding war between the different shops, I purchased my dress through RK Bridal. They offer to beat your best price by 5% and they have an actual shop in New York City which helped ease my online worries.

When the dress came in it was beautiful and I was very happy with the quality and the price.

If you find a dress that you love don't give up if the price tag is out of your range. Most bridal shops are open to negotiating or selling you the sample gown at a lower price. I highly recommend checking out RK bridal as well. After all it is your day and you deserve to wear your dream gown!

Wedding Quotes

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

"To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage."

"Happy marriages begin when we marry the one we love, and they blossom when we love the one we married."

"Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that." ~Michael Leunig

"Eat, drink and be married!"