Tabitha | Carolina Destination Wedding Blog

When to Send Thank You Notes

Posted by Tabitha on Sep 7, 2011 in wedding invitations, wedding planning | 2 comments

Today, I wish to discuss the time frame that you should send out “thank you” notes for gifts received at your engagement party, bridal showers, and on the day of your wedding.

For engagement parties and bridal showers, you should send a “thank you” note out within two to three weeks of receiving the gifts. As for wedding gifts, there are three different times that you may receive gifts from people–before your wedding, the wedding day, and after your wedding.

If you receive any wedding gifts before the wedding date, you should immediately send a “thank you” note upon receipt. For wedding gifts received on the actual wedding date, ideally you want to have all “thank you” notes mailed within three months of the wedding. If you receive any wedding gifts after the wedding date, you should send a “thank you” note within two to three weeks of receiving the gift.

Please remember that each “thank you” note must be personalized. The best way to do this is to mention the gift by name in the note, tell the giver how you will use the gift, and sincerely express your appreciation for the gift and their attendance at your wedding (if they attended). Lastly, your “thank you” note must be handwritten. Never send out a generic “thank you” note.

Editor’s Note: Originally published in October 2008 and previously republished in July 2010.

Photo from After College

Outdoor Wedding Essentials: Have a Backup Plan!

Posted by Tabitha on Sep 6, 2011 in outdoor weddings | 2 comments

Photo Credit: Adrienne Maples

Editor’s Note: In light of the Hurricane Irene, I have decided to re-post this article to remind those of you planning an outdoor wedding or beach wedding ceremony to create a back-up plan. It is not too late in the planning process to implement some of these recommendations. Original blog post published in April 2009. Please note content has been modified.

Today, I want to talk about the importance of having a back-up plan for inclement weather. Here in the eastern region, the biggest thing to take into consideration is hurricane season. Hurricane season for the Eastern North Carolina is from June to November. Our official hurricane month is September and this is the time when tropical storms are most likely to occur. That said, if you are planning to host your wedding during this time, it is imperative that you have a backup plan. Some practical tips are as follows:

Choose an outdoor location that also has an indoor facility. For example, if you are getting married on the beach. Choose a hotel venue that has a designated beachfront area to host your nuptials as well as a ballroom that you can reserve in the event it storms on your celebration. For the most part, my outdoor wedding clients have hosted just their ceremony and maybe cocktail hour outside, but held the reception indoors. This is ideal, but if you wish to host your entire event outdoors then another option, if your outdoor wedding site does not have an indoor facility, is to reserve a nearby chapel. Some chapels do have both ceremony and reception facilities available. This will cost you some extra money, but it is well worth it if you want the festivities to continue, that is if it is safe to continue.

Monitor the weather forecast the week of your wedding. If you have chosen an outdoor wedding location that has an indoor facility and the site manager calls you up and tells you that it is going to storm and ask if you would like to go ahead and set everything up inside, then do so. Especially, if you can see the storm coming with your bare eyes and the meteorologists has predicted in his or her forecast that there is a high percentage that it is going to rain. There is no need to inconvenience your guests, because you are hoping that the storm will miraculously move in the opposite direction. You are not that special. You can read our featured “rainy day advice” on Randi Martin’s blog to learn why I am saying this.

Send out rain cards with your invitations. First up, your guests should be aware that your wedding will be taking place outdoors. In addition to this, you need to let them know of your backup plan in the event that inclement weather occurs. This is especially important if your outdoor wedding site does not have any indoor facilities that can accommodate you and your guests and you have arranged for an alternate location. Rain cards are an enclosure that you can include in your invitation set and they are the best way to inform your guests of your backup plan should it rain. In this way, they will know ahead of time where to go if it rains as opposed to having to call and or wander around trying to figure out where to go.

Take precautions even if you are having a tent wedding. Tent weddings can be really nice, but you still need to be prepared ahead of time should it rain or storm. Tents for the most part serve their purpose of providing shade from the sun and shelter in case it rains. In addition, they are pretty sturdy and actually have to be inspected upon setup to make sure they are in compliance with your city’s wind and fire codes as mentioned previously. But, what if heavy rain occurs and you do not have at least flooring? Well, the ground will soak even if you have a tent. So, my advice here is to consider at the very least adding flooring for the entire dimension of the tent if your budget permits you to do so. Imagine having to walk around in wet and muddy shoes (and feet).

Take Out Wedding Insurance. Considering that you absolutely do not have control over the weather, it is a wise idea to insure your wedding. In the event that extreme weather conditions do occur that will prevent you from having your wedding, such as a hurricane, you will be able to recoup some costs. To learn more about wedding insurance, please click here.

The key thing to remember is to “think logically and act smartly” and don’t inconvenience your guests. In addition, I would also like to add that it’s a good idea to have some umbrellas on standby in case it rains, in this way your hosts can quickly distribute them to guests or have them in a place where they can quickly grab one.

Happy Planning!

Seating Logistics: Accessibility, Noise Levels + Family Dynamics

Posted by Tabitha on Sep 5, 2011 in event design, wedding planning | 0 comments

When assigning seats for your wedding reception, please take the following into consideration:

Accessibility – Are there any guests that are physically disabled? If so, assign them to a table that is close to an entrance/exit point. For example, if your grandmother uses a walker to balance, then you do not want to assign her to a table that is on the opposite side of an entrance, nor do you want to place any disabled guests in an area where they may have a difficult time getting around the room or to their assigned table.

Noise Level – One of the key things I pointed out when I discussed the benefits of creating a floor plan, was that by creating a floor plan you will have a visual of the room’s layout including a designated area to where the band or DJ will be located. Obviously, this is important because you will want to avoid assigning any guests to tables near the band if you suspect they may get annoyed with the noise level of the band, for example, any elderly guests and even guests who may bring their infants.

Family Dynamics – Simply put, are there any members of your family who have a difficult time getting along or being cordial with each other? If so, please do not seat them with or near each other. Sure your wedding is a time to bring people together, but not at the expense of your wedding day turning sour. Sometimes we like to think people will put their differences aside for such a special occasion, but I can tell you that it does not always work out that way.

{This is a re-post and content has been modified (floor plan layout added today). Originally published on our old blog in June 2009}

What To Do With Your Wedding Gown?

Posted by Tabitha on Apr 20, 2011 in bridal gowns | 3 comments

Now that you have made it down the aisle in your bridal gown and perhaps, you have also had a “rock the dress” photo session, what are you going to do with your bridal gown?

Some people have their wedding gowns preserved and place them in their closets or attics so that they can a) reminisce about wearing it each year when they do their spring cleaning, b) they wish to keep it, hoping someday their daughter may wear it down the aisle, and or c) they hope to be able to fit in it when their 10 year wedding anniversary comes around.

However, if you are like me, then you are not the type of person who would hold on to something that you probably will not wear again, not even to renew your wedding vows. If you are in this boat, there are a couple other options of what to do with your wedding gown after the wedding.

They are as follows:

support a good cause by donating your wedding gown to Brides Against Breast Cancer, a non-profit organization that “grant[s] final wishes to women and men suffering from terminal breast cancer”

sell it on Recycle Bride, the world’s largest wedding marketplace if you are looking to recoup a small percentage of your wedding expenses

or, you can sell it and with the funds you earn, you can then donate that to a personal cause that you and your new husband both support

As you can see, I am all for using your bridal gown for a good cause in lieu of storing it in the back of your closet indefinitely. Something about preserving a wedding gown, gives me the creeps and makes me think of a casket (seriously). Have you seen those boxes they put them?

Happy Planning!

Photo from North Hills Raleigh

The Plus Size Brides’ Wedding Blog

Posted by Tabitha on Mar 30, 2011 in wedding magazines | 0 comments

Wedding publications at large both online and in print have underrepresented, if not neglected to represent plus-size brides, women of color, and well many ethnically-diverse groups of people as a whole. There are a few professionals who are out to change that in the wedding industry and I am all for it as a woman of color, diverse heritage, and who embraces her curves.

One of those brilliant people is Khris Kochran who has created an online platform dedicated solely for plus-size brides. In my personal opinion, Plumage Magazine is the leading source for not only brides with curves, but for the average size bride in American society.

Khris, also the founder and author of DIY Bride, has done an exceptional job in creating this online magazine, blog, and community, which is filled with resources for plus size brides, including advice on how to and where to shop for your bridal gown, beauty and fashion tips, featured real weddings, engagement sessions, and yes my friends boudoir photo sessions of beautiful and stylish plus size brides. There is a wealth of information. So, please go and check it out for yourselves and subscribe.

Trash the Dress Session in Australia

Posted by Tabitha on Mar 26, 2011 in destination weddings | 3 comments

Is this not the most beautiful trash the dress photo you have ever seen? Just look at that beautiful and picturesque Australian backdrop. Majestic, I tell you.

When I saw this photograph, I started daydreaming about personally having a day after wedding session in some place like Australia, Africa, or even in the jungle of Costa Rica. Hey, if you’re going to do it, why not do it in some exotic destination or while you are away on your honeymoon?

I also love how the model is effortlessly relaxing in the tree with her bridal gown hanging below as if this was the norm. You can view more from this photo shoot on ID Photography’s blog, I’m confident you will fall in love with their work as I did.