Wedding Etiquette Wednesday...How To Write A Thank You Note

Ann Marlin, owner of Cloud 9 Papers is continually asked about thank you notes. She puts it best, "A personal thank you note is the only appropriate way to say 'Thank You!' At one time, notes were not considered necessary when you thanked someone in person. Today, with guest lists being longer and guests busier, a personal thank you note is the only way to make sure sincere appreciation is expressed. Just telling someone who has given you a gift, how much you appreciate it, does not 'cut the cake!'"

Thank You Do's and Don'ts

1. Never, Never, Never, send a pre-printed thank you card. When you send a pre-printed card, you are telling the person receiving the thank you that their gift didn't mean enough to you to even receive a mention in your note. A warm personalized, handwritten note, regardless how brief, tells the guest how much you appreciated the gift and how it will be cherished for years to come. Handwritten notes express sincerity.

2. Be sure to send thank you notes to friends and relatives who arrange showers and parties for you. It is appropriate to thank them for the party or shower in the same card you send thanking them for their gift.

3. When you receive more than one gift from someone, each gift must be recognized with its own thank you card. If you receive a shower gift from a friend or relative and then, three weeks later, receive a wedding gift from the same person, it is not appropriate to thank them in one card. Shower gifts should be acknowledged within ten days of the party and wedding gifts within two weeks after returning from the honeymoon. Wedding gifts arriving in advance of the wedding, should be responded to immediately, so that an extended period of time does not pass between receiving the gift and it's thank you.

4. Be sure to put your new return address on all thank you cards. Your guests will appreciate having your current and correct address.

5. Although colored ink is readily available in your favorite stationery store today, it is still more appropriate to write your notes in dark blue or black. It is more easily readable.

6. When writing thank you notes, never start the note with "I." Always use "you" more than "I" or "me" in the note.

Ask the Expert...Carissa Passerella

Every bride wants to look her absolute best on her wedding day. We asked our 'go-to' beauty expert, Carissa Passerella with Carissa Beauty for a few of her wedding day make-up tips. Carissa is the master mind behind the incredible blog Hooked on Beauty and is also the Beauty Expert for WalMart. Carissa is on the cutting edge of all trends, is a leader in her field and is an all around fantastic person to spend time with! We love her and know you will too!

1. What is your best tip for finding a wedding day make-up artist?

Investigate them the same way you would any other vendor. Make sure they offer a trial run and see what they’re using, especially for foundations. If they’re using lines like MAC or Bobbi Brown, move on. I use lines that are truly for professionals, stuff you’ve never heard of like Kett, Kryolan, Koh Gen Do, Eve Pearl, Graftobian, and two different lines for airbrush makeup too. Lines like this are made for photography and offer the best looking coverage. Foundations aren’t the only important part, but it’s a good barometer to see what the rest of their kit offers.

2. How should brides get gorgeous pre-wedding skin?

Plenty of water and watch the alcohol intake especially on rehearsal night. I’ve met with so many girls who have zero dark circles and perfect skin which is all shot after too many cocktails the night before the wedding- and looking fresh isn’t something makeup can help. Get a facial if your skin looks congested, but you can probably just get by with being faithful to a good exfoliant. Sloughing off old skin clears the way for new vibrant skin which will look gorgeous in pictures.

3. Why should brides hire a professional make-up artist?

For the same reason you hire a hair stylist, you probably can do it yourself but the professional result is so much better. Girls who don’t wear makeup especially need a Makeup Artist because they don’t know the tricks to ‘no-makeup makeup’ so they either completely over-do it thinking they need ‘more color’ or they wind up looking pale because they didn’t use enough. More than amount used though, it’s the products themselves that makes it all worth the fraction of your budget to hire an artist.

4. What is your tried and true go-to product?

La Femme eye shadows

5. False eyelashes – yes or no?

Absolutely. I have an arsenal of lashes that fit all eye shapes and lash lengths. What I use isn’t detectable in person and most grooms can’t even tell. It’s the best way to dress up your eyes without adding color, they’re the natural girl’s best friend.

Monica & Stephen...and an outrageous cake adventure...

Last Saturday, Ann and I were in Winter Park for the wedding of Monica and Stephen at the gorgeous Sunspot Lodge at the top of Winter Park. The day started with the hilarious adventure of us carrying a three-tier wedding cake up the mountain on the open-air chairlift. The cake box was so large that we were unable to put down the safety bar; as I held on to the cake box for dear life, Ann held on to me - as it felt like we could slip off at any moment, especially as the lift stopped and swayed many times throughout our ride. We were laughing so hard tears were flowing and more so we were freezing - note to self: suits and heels are definitely not appropriate chairlift attire!

Putting the silly story of our cake adventure behind us - we were so happy to see Stephen and Monica get married. They had been together for over six years and traveled with family and friends all the way from Florida for a week of wedded bliss in the snow. Congratulations!

The photos are courtesy of Adam Houseman with Adam & Imthiaz Photography.

Will You Be My...?

We were scanning Etsy and came across these fun cards - a neat way to ask your best friend/sister/brother/shoulder to cry on/ball watching/football tossing/shopping pal/beer drinking/confidant/dessert sharing buddy/etc., to stand by your side on the big day.

We found these cards through the following Etsy companies;

Greencard, GiraffeNotes, LittleLadyCompany, JenuinePaper, ekcetera, upup

Wedding Etiquette Wednesday: Attire 101

A couple was getting married, and it was only three days before the wedding. The bride calls her mother with some bad news. "Mom," she says, "I just found out that my fiance's mother has bought the exact same dress as you to wear to the wedding." The bride's mother thinks for a minute. "Don't worry," she tells her daughter. "I'll just go and buy another dress to wear to the ceremony." "But mother," says the bride, "that dress cost a fortune. What will you do with it? It's such a waste not to use it." "Who said I won't use it?" her mother asked. "I'll just wear it to the rehearsal dinner."

We've all been faced with the question, "What should I wear?" Here's a few guidelines to help break it down.

Daytime Wedding For Her - A fun floral dress - A skirt and a sweater set with beautiful shoes - A light colored suit - A beautiful hat that coordinates with your outfit

Daytime Wedding For Him - In the summertime, a light-colored suit, especially linen or seersucker - Winter weddings call for warmer clothing, including wool suits, a navy blazer with charcoal pants, and perhaps a sweater and tie underneath a blazer - A dress shirt, tie and dress pants is acceptable, but dress it up with a blazer if you can - If the invitation says formal, wear a dark suit. Tuxedoes are not appropriate before 6 pm

Evening Wedding For Her - Dress as you would if you were going out to the theater or to dinner. - A cocktail dress – nothing too sexy but something fun to dance in. Black is fine. - A dressy suit or a cocktail suit - Wear darker colors and look for something sophisticated - Avoid beads or sequins unless the invitation specifically says black tie

Evening Wedding For Him - A dark suit is always appropriate - If the invitation says casual or semi-formal, you can wear a blazer and slacks with a nice tie

Black-Tie Optional For Her - A cocktail dress, perhaps to the floor

Black-Tie Optional For Him - If you have a tuxedo, or just like wearing one, by all means do so - Otherwise, wear a dark suit. Dress as formally as you can.

Black-Tie for Her - A formal dress, usually to the floor - Bring out those beaded purses, fancy wraps and formal jewelry that's been waiting for an occasion such as this

Black-Tie For Him - A tuxedo is the only appropriate thing to wear. If it says creative black tie, he should still wear a tuxedo, perhaps with a black shirt or collarless white shirt.

DON'T WEAR: - White. (This rule has relaxed some, and you can get away with wearing a printed dress with a white background and some cream colored clothing. Just be careful not to upstage the bride.) - Black to a daytime wedding - Jeans - Anything too sexy or revealing - Anything torn, with holes, stained, too big or too small for you!