Tag: Wedding Photos

Unique Save the Dates!

Posted on by Glendalough Manor

Saves the Dates are my favorite piece of wedding stationary!  You can be super creative with your save the dates and the best part is that you don’t have to be as formal (like your wedding invitations).  You can give your guests a sneak peak at the date and time but also give them a clue in to your wedding and/or personalities!

I love handmade save the dates!  You can take your own pictures or make your own cards to send and I promise your guests will love them and appreciate the time you put in to make them.  Make sure to put that the invitation will follow and if you have a wedding website I would list that along with the date.  All of the details can be listed on your website(where guests can stay, location of ceremony and reception, where you are registered, etc) without having to include this information on the card.

For my wedding, I did Valentines themed Save the Dates…my wedding was in August so February was a perfect time to send them out.  I made handmade Valentines’ day cards and got calls from almost everyone I sent one to telling me how cute they were.

If you and your fiance love music then this music inspired save the date would fit your personalities perfectly,

Creating your own banner or sign and taking a picture of you and your fiance is a great save the date.  Be creative with it!  My favorite is the photobooth strip!

Or make a miniature banner to include in your save the date cards…how adorable is that?

My new obsession with wedding is balloons…yes balloons..but not used the way they used to be!! They are great for save the date pictures and look at this great save the date idea!


I hope these ideas spark your creativity to come up with your own personal and unique save the dates!

Happy Planning!

Sources: www.forgetmeknotweddingsblog.com, www.chrislaich.com, www.lisafittsphotography.com, www.ohhappyday.com, www.bridesbuddy.squarespace.com, www.pinterest.com

Different Bridesmaid Dresses

Posted on by Glendalough Manor

A growing trend I absolutely love is having bridesmaids wear different dresses!

One of the most popular ways to have bridesmaids wear different dresses is for the bride to choose the fabric as well as the color and let the girls choose the shape they feel most comfortable in.  This allows the bridesmaids to pick out a shape that flatters their body but still providing continuity between the girls by having them all in the same fabric and color.

Another way to make your bridesmaids wear something different is to ask your girls to pick their own bridesmaid dresses!   To be honest, when I first heard about this trend I thought it would never work…..how could they choose their own dresses and still look good standing next to each other?   I think the key to this is to make sure you as the bride are specific in what they can wear.  Depending on the look and feel of the wedding you can decide how different you want their dresses to be.

My suggestion would be to give them an overall feeling for the wedding and what type of dresses you think will complement that style.  Give the girls a certain color palette and decide how creative you want them to be.  For example, ask all of your girls to pick a tea length dress in any shade of blue.  Make sure you let them know what styles or colors you don’t like so they are clear on your likes and dislikes before they begin their search.

If you want them to really show their own personality and style you can give them a couple of colors that go along with the wedding and let them choose the style and look.  I say this is your wedding so even though you are giving them some creativity you can be as involved as you feel necessary and ultimately make the final decision.  In the end your girls will feel confident and comfortable in the dress they chose and look fabulous!

If you are thinking about asking your girls to wear different bridesmaid dresses we would love to hear about it!

Sources: www.sdweddinginsider.com, www.people.com, www.thebrideofoklahoma.com, www.ruffledblog.com, www.stylemepretty.com

Questions to Ask Possible Wedding Venues

Posted on by Glendalough Manor

Before you go to any venue it is best to be prepared with a list of questions.  I hope to give you a detailed list of questions to ask to help in your venue search.  Asking the right questions before you decide on a particular venue can prevent any surprise costs during the planning process!

1.       How much is the facility rental fee? Is there a food and beverage minimum or guest minimum I must have for certain days/times?

2.       What if anything is included in the facility rental fee?  If the venue provides tables and chairs make sure to ask how many of each and the sizes of the tables.  If you may use more than the allotted number of tables and chairs make sure to ask if there would there be additional costs of renting chairs and/or tables. (As a side note 60” round tables will seat 10 people and 72” rounds will seat 12 people).

3.       Is there a separate ceremony fee?  What is included? (Chairs, audio visual?)  Is there a back-up plan for the ceremony?  If there is make sure you will not be too disappointed if you have to use it!

4.       How many people can you fit comfortably for seated dinner? What is your maximum capacity without chairs?   Make sure to use the word “comfortably”.  Many venues can fit more people in the reception room than would be comfortable for your guests.

5.       How many hours are included in the room fee?  Does that include setup and breakdown? Who handles the setup and breakdown?  Try to look for a venue that handles all setup and breakdown of the tables and chairs.

6.       Will there be a facility coordinator?  Will someone be there to coordinate vendors and ceremony on the day of and coordinate the rehearsal the day before?  If the venue does not provide one you may want to look at hiring a wedding coordinator to at least run the day of.  This helps lessen the stress on you and your family on the wedding day. (I will have another blog on wedding planners later!)

7.       Do they have a preferred vendors list?  If you use those vendors do you receive any perks for using their preferred vendor?  Are you allowed to bring in outside vendors?

8.       Can you bring in an outside caterer?  If not, will there be a menu tasting?  If the facility has an on-site chef make sure they provide the dinnerware, flatware and all serving utensils.

9.       What type of bars do you offer?  Many times you are not allowed to bring in outside alcohol.  If a venue provides the alcohol they will handle all of the permits and liability.  Make sure they provide the bartenders and ask if there are additional charges for the number of bartenders.  Also make sure there are no hidden fees such as wine corking as well as whether they provide a sparkling cider or champagne toast included in the fees.

10.   Do they have adequate parking?  This can be a very expensive detail that many brides overlook. Make sure to ask this question!  Some venues partner with local hotels so make sure to ask if they provide free shuttles or any discounts.

11.   How many weddings can you have on one day?

12.   Are there any additional fees?  Gratuities, tips, etc I should be aware of?

Lastly make sure to ask each potential venue for a sample contract before leaving.  That way you can review the contract and ask any follow up questions if needed.

I hope this helps in your venue search. Make sure to check out www.glendaloughmanor.com if you are still on the search for a venue.  It is an all-inclusive facility that would be happy to schedule a tour and answer all of these questions for you!  You can click on the pricing tab or the cost calculator to get more detailed information about this beautiful garden venue.

If you know of any questions that helped you in your search please comment and let us know.

Happy Planning!