'Mamma Mia' In Theatres This Weekend!

Ready for a new wedding flick? Me, too! I'm going to be honest, though. I was not super-pumped when I heard Hollywood was making a feature film out of the hit Broadway show Mama Mia! – not because I hated it, but because I am pretty much ambivalent about it and keep hoping against hope that they'll give Wicked a try one of these days. Music by disco royalty Abba: yikes. Story about a girl who decides she wants the father she's never met to walk her down the aisle: blah. The twist is that after reading her mother's diary, Sophie discovers that there are THREE candidates for the empty role of Father of the Bride, and her mom's not willing to dish. So, Sophie does what any girl would do and invites them all (unbeknownst to her mother) to her wedding in Greece (yes, that was sarcasm). Guess what? They all show. The next 24 hours are a musical, seaside adventure as Sophie and her mother, Donna, sing and dance their way to the truth about their family.

Until I saw the fairly impressive cast list, I had resolved merely to put Mama Mia! in my Netflix queue and hope The Husband didn't delete it. But it might be worth it to see Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, and Pierce Brosnan (Ouch! Really? Are they really going to let him sing?) on the big screen. In fact, I'm actually looking forward to Amanda Seyfried's performance as Sophie because she cracked me up as Karen in Mean Girls. And because I've never taken the many opportunities I've had to attend this show on Broadway or its National Tour – one has to wonder if I've been too harsh. After all, it's been seen by over 30 million people in 160 countries and 8 different languages. Why not give it a try? Take a well-deserved break from all that planning and hit the cinema with your bridesmaids. You might just find that perfect bit of inspiration you've been looking for!

When to DIY: Wedding Invitations

Image courtesy of InviteSite.com

Do-It-Yourself wedding projects are more popular than ever. Couples are super-pumped to save money by not out-sourcing all their nuptial needs while having a truly personalized ceremony & reception from start to finish! Think you’d like to jump on the DIY bandwagon? Before committing to take on making your own wedding invitations, RSVP cards, thank-yous, programs, etc. you should ask yourself the following questions:

1. “Do I have the time?” Unless you’re well-versed in card making, graphic design, and crafting, chances are you have no idea how laborious this process can be. If your schedule is already packed, consider buying professionally printed wedding stationery – or have an independent design one-of-a-kind wedding collateral for you.

2. “Do I have the ability?” Be honest. If you’re great with shapes, colors, glue & scissors, then go for it! If you’re a little less left-brained, don’t be afraid to try a ready-made kit that is simple to assemble or seek the help of one of your more artistically gifted friends.

3. “Do I have the resources?” A lot of brides opt for DIY wedding invitations as a money-saving measure. If that’s your primary motivation, you should know that the extra time and effort may not be worth it in the end. If you’re not excited by the idea of making everything by hand, first shop the clearance sections at online boutiques or visit a locally owned print shop to see what they would charge to design and print the invitations for you. I found my dream invites in the clearance section of an online stationer, marked down just enough to fit my budget. When my father & stepmother got married, they took one of her original paintings to a small-town printer and had it replicated as their wedding invitation…for 20% of the cost of my clearance invitations. Being creative is half the fun – especially when it saves you money.

4. “Do I have the desire?” If you have no earthly clue how to make your own wedding invitations & even less inclination to actually do it, then, by all means – skip it! If you’re hoping to save money, there are many other DIY wedding ideas to help stretch your dollars. Likewise, if you know EXACTLY what you want and can’t find it (or are a perfectionist who doesn’t trust anyone but yourself!), then creating your own wedding invitations and other stationery is probably a necessary means of preserving your sanity.

If you (or a trusted friend!) can answer these questions in the affirmative, then you are certainly ready to start creating your own wedding invitations. If you don’t feel like taking on the entire wedding collateral, mix and match doing some pieces yourself while leaving some for the professionals. Whatever you decide, just be sure it’s what you really want – and don’t let anyone (even me!) talk you out of it. It’s your big day!

Planning Timeline: Invitations

You’ve got a list a mile long of all your wedding to-dos; in fact, you’re pretty sure there are 37 additional things you forgot to put on the list that MUST be completed in the next 6 months. So, where to start? After you’ve nailed down your ceremony & reception site and wedding date, you’re ready to getting moving on invitations!

Shop Around: Take a week or two to visit stationers in your area. Also, be sure to look online as many boutique designers, such as Wedding Invitations by Wedding Paper Divas have full-service websites. If you can’t quite decide between your top 3 choices, most paper companies offer to send samples so you can get the full effect – but keep in mind that it can take up to two weeks for some samples to arrive. Places like Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, Wal-Mart & Target have also begun to offer easy-to-personalize wedding collateral lines.

Place Your Order: Once you’ve found the perfect invites, don’t waste any time ordering (and try not to order any later than three months before your wedding date). Allow up to 6 weeks for delivery (most companies deliver in 2-4). It’s important to order wedding invitations as soon as you are able for this reason: mistakes happen. If you allow a “cushion”, you won’t have to freak out if your save-the-dates are a different color than your invitations or if they spelled “Catherine” with a “K” instead of a “C”. Note: If you do end up with a stationery snag, don’t be a brat when you call the company. Yes, this is your big day. Yes, you’re paying good money for their product. But the fact of the matter is that the 19-year-old receptionist had nothing to do with the misprint and you’ll catch more flies with honey.

Envelope Stuffing & Labeling: Unless you’ve been a bridesmaid in the past, you’ve probably never experienced the tedium of delicately cramming the invitation, RSVP card, direction card, registry card and that flimsy little sheet of tissue paper into the inner envelope - and then into the outer envelope…250 times. It’s not a bad idea to begin this process 8-10 weeks before you plan to mail the invitations. As busy as you’ll be balancing work, family, and wedding planning it’s wise to plan ahead and give yourself some extra time – or rope in your ‘maids, mom, and sisters for a night of assembly line fun (she with the best penmanship should be reserved for the actual addressing). Don’t forget the stamps! Your local post office offers special postage specifically for weddings, so be sure to ask for it! Note: Though food & drinks make any pre-wedding activity more fun, keep them as far from your assembly line as possible. That red wine stain won’t come out of 250 pearl and ivory invitations.

Mailing: You’re almost finished! Since we all know that the postal service delivers top-notch precision and accuracy when handling our mail, you would be wise to mail out-of-town guests’ invites 6 weeks before the wedding date. In-town guests can typically be mailed 4 weeks out – but I say, why make TWO trips to the post office? Just dump them all in your nearest blue box at the 6 week mark to be safe. That gives everyone a little more time to RSVP – which means fewer last minute calls to your caterer to up your dinner count.

For the Boys - The Groom's Cake

The Groom’s Cake is a long-standing wedding tradition that has evolved quite a bit over the last 300 years. Its history is a bit sketchy (some say pieces were at one time sent home with all the single female guests, who would place their slice under their pillows and dream of their future husbands), but most agree that the groom’s cake was to be offered to guests as an alternative flavor to the traditionally white Bride’s Cake (commonly known today as the wedding cake). White cake and white frosting on the Bride’s Cake came to represent her purity – just like her white wedding gown. However, brides today do not feel bound entirely to white attire and certainly aren’t afraid of adding a splash of color to their wedding cakes. Likewise, the modern-day Groom’s Cake (originally quite plain in appearance so as not to upstage the “real” wedding cake) has evolved into another way for couples to uniquely express their personalities. A groom can choose his own cake, or the bride can choose his cake as a surprise to be eaten at either the rehearsal meal or the wedding reception.

A Groom’s Cake can reflect his hobbies, career, or personality – and many are just as elaborate as the “actual” wedding cake itself. Check out a few of these options offered by Cake Affairs. Owned by two sisters, Cake Affairs prides themselves on a fantastic attention to detail. These cakes definitely have the “Wow” Factor – more than once I found myself staring intently at the screen thinking “Seriously? That’s a cake?!” For more inspiration, visit their website to see their full gallery – and don’t forget to check out the fabulous selection of Bride’s Cakes as well!

Wedding Cake Alternatives

Image courtesy of iVillage

I'm not a fan of cake. I don't know why. By all accounts, I'm genetically predisposed to be a cake-lover. My mom and sister truly love no other food more than a beautifully decorated, 5-tier, white wedding cake. Ugh. As I child I would usually request ice cream cake, cheesecake or pies when my birthday rolled around, so I always knew I wouldn't serve a traditional wedding cake at my reception.

What I did not know was that my Prince Charming would love cake and be mortified at the very thought of ditching it for a tasty alternative. Our compromise? A 4-tiered cake offering a different flavor in each layer (amaretto, strawberry swirl, chocolate mousse, and tiramisu). So, yes, in the end I did end up with a (gorgeous!) cake at my reception. But it was fun and different - and guests loved having 3 options to choose from. Only 3, you ask? Yup! Hubby and I took the top tier (tiramisu) home and had it for dessert every night for the first week of our married life. I couldn't bring myself to freeze it and eat it a year later when I knew it would be so yummy NOW!

For you girls who are entertaining the idea of replacing that cake with something better suited to your tastes (or budget) - or for those just hoping to find something fun to serve alongside it, consider dishing up one of these delicious alternatives. They can be displayed on a reception table or served to guests individually:

- Flan (infuse with different flavors like orange or caramel)
- Creme brulee topped with fresh berries
- Chocolate Mousse
- Tiramisu
- Cheese cakes in multiple flavors
- Creme puffs
- Funnel cakes (perfect for casual outdoor receptions)
- Cupcakes (ok, they’re still cake…but they’re just so darn CUTE!)
- Giant, ornately decorated sugar cookies personalized with your names and/or wedding date
- Baklava
- Chocolate fountain
- Truffles
- Pies
- Build-Your-Own Ice Cream Sundaes

Can't bring yourself to pick just one? Set up a buffet table! Guests are sure to appreciate the variety and creativity. Plus, if you do some research, you'll spend less on a buffet than a big cake. Decorate the table with lavish flower arrangements and tiered serving trays to really make the presentation pop! Best of all, your big day will certainly standout from all the rest!

Wedding Cake Toppers

Are you ready to put the finishing touches on your wedding cake? Forget the tacky plastic bride and groom wedding cake topper. Or the even tackier groom-running-for-his-life-while-the-bride-drags-him-by-the-neck-back-to-the-top-of-the-cake topper. This year's brides have more options than ever when it comes to personalizing their wedding cakes - so if you feel like parting with tradition, try one of these more tasteful cake topper ideas:

1. No topper at all. Does your cake already include ribbons, pearls, and elaborate embellishments? Less is more. Consider leaving the topper off altogether. Just as you need to balance your own accessories (do you really need the veil, tiara, rhinestone clip and baby roses in your hair?), you need to keep an eye on your cake decor. Know when to leave well enough alone!

2. Your new monogram. Personally, this is our favorite! It's personal, simple, and elegant. Monogrammed cake toppers are available in a variety of colors, styles, and sizes like these Rhinestone Cake Letters or this Personalized Acrylic Circle Cake Top

Choose from gold or silver to accent your reception decorations – some even offer color rhinestones. Clear, acrylic monogram letters offer the clean look of an ice sculpture. Still not your style? Have your cake designer create a monogram out of candy! If a monogram seems to crowd the top of the cake, just use the first letter of your new last name (or the first letters of both of your first names if you're keeping your maiden name).

3. Flowers. Fresh or high-quality silk, it doesn't really matter – just be sure it doesn't look cheap. If you're having an outdoor reception in the summertime, you might consider silk so they don't wilt in the heat. Decorate your wedding cake with the same flowers you carried in your bouquet or match them to the color scheme of your reception.

4. Your wedding date. In a style similar to that of the monogrammed cake toppers, immortalize your wedding date (“9.09.09”) in all those face-stuffing cake shots your photographer is sure to get.

5. Something that shows your unique personality as a couple. Did you meet in the military? At church? Do you share a love of music or sports? Rest assured, a Google search will turn up the perfect wedding cake topper to showcase your unique interests or talents. Many cake topper designers are now catering to the unique personalities of couples with religious, hobby, and vocational themed cake toppers.