To do or not to do. We, as Latter Day Saints, don't have much need for wild drinking binges or for watching scantily clad dancers before we head out to the temple for the greatest day of our life. So do we need bachelor and bachelorette parties? Well, no. But why not spend a night close to your wedding having a great time with your friends?
Get all your friends together and go crazy! Play monopoly, go golfing, watch late night movies, have a slumber party, shoot pool. Hey live dangerous and go toilet papering! I don't think it really matters what activity you choose. Do whatever it is that you won't have as much time for now that you'll be spending every night with your sweetie. (As if you weren't spending every waking moment together before.)
I really do think it's a good idea to spend some quality undivided time with those friends of yours that were there to get you in and out of trouble and stuck with you through all the relationship drama that proceeded this big event. Whether you know it or not, your time with your friends is about to diminish rapidly and it only gets harder. Give them the love and attention they deserve and let yourself have fun!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Wedding Groupon
Hey guys. Check out Groupon today to save on your wedding in many ways. They have savings on photography, bridal gown preservation, invitations, spa packages and more. Give it a look!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Wedding Article in Deseret News
I'm in the Deseret News Today! Here's the link:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765562952/Preparing-for-marriage-while-planning-a-wedding.html
She quotes a few people. The article is really great. It talks about how preparing for a wedding also prepares you for a marriage. It has sections on: communication, managing conflict, family relationships, managing time and dealing with imperfections. It's well written. I love the points the other interviewees have.
I particularly love the section entitled, "Family Matters". It talks about expectations for all parties involved and learning to cooperate, negotiate and overall start to set boundaries with your family.
Thanks Rachel for letting me be a part of it!
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765562952/Preparing-for-marriage-while-planning-a-wedding.html
She quotes a few people. The article is really great. It talks about how preparing for a wedding also prepares you for a marriage. It has sections on: communication, managing conflict, family relationships, managing time and dealing with imperfections. It's well written. I love the points the other interviewees have.
I particularly love the section entitled, "Family Matters". It talks about expectations for all parties involved and learning to cooperate, negotiate and overall start to set boundaries with your family.
Thanks Rachel for letting me be a part of it!
Appropriate Temple Attire
So, I thought this was a given, but when going to the temple for your wedding day make sure to wear appropriate temple attire. This means Sunday dress. This does not mean in your jammie pants and t-shirt, bunny slippers and hair in curlers (true story).
The temple is not your dressing room. It is the Lord’s house. Just try to remember that—even on your wedding day. Arrive at the temple ready to be married (with the exception of changing into your dress). Everything else (hair and make-up) should be done. They do not ask you to come early to the temple so you have time to get ready. It’s because there are several things that you need to do when you get there, including: records verification, changing, meeting with the matron and sealer, and possibly participating in a pre-wedding sacred ceremony.
This is the Lord’s house. That should not be taken lightly. He gave us these buildings to be a place of worship and to participate in sacred ordinances. If He would be happy with the way you are dressed then you’re okay.
The temple is not your dressing room. It is the Lord’s house. Just try to remember that—even on your wedding day. Arrive at the temple ready to be married (with the exception of changing into your dress). Everything else (hair and make-up) should be done. They do not ask you to come early to the temple so you have time to get ready. It’s because there are several things that you need to do when you get there, including: records verification, changing, meeting with the matron and sealer, and possibly participating in a pre-wedding sacred ceremony.
This is the Lord’s house. That should not be taken lightly. He gave us these buildings to be a place of worship and to participate in sacred ordinances. If He would be happy with the way you are dressed then you’re okay.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Grandmother's Attire
Question: My Grandmother asked me what she should wear to my wedding. What should I tell her?
Answer: If Grandma is asking you what she should wear, odds are she wants to be involved. Look at what your other key players in your wedding party are wearing. Perhaps she could wear something that coordinates with the wedding colors and the rest of the wedding party.
She shouldn’t be dressier than the mothers. If they are wearing dress suits, she could wear something similar. If they are going for a more formal look then she can, too.
The key points are:
Answer: If Grandma is asking you what she should wear, odds are she wants to be involved. Look at what your other key players in your wedding party are wearing. Perhaps she could wear something that coordinates with the wedding colors and the rest of the wedding party.
She shouldn’t be dressier than the mothers. If they are wearing dress suits, she could wear something similar. If they are going for a more formal look then she can, too.
The key points are:
- She should fit into the wedding
- She shouldn’t upstage the mothers and definitely not the bride herself
- She should be a person of honor (So she should get a corsage, along with the mothers)
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Gift Opening Soapbox
In my book, Your LDS Wedding Planner, I have what I call “Soapboxes.” These are places where I give-in a bit to the less-censored Ann. I tend to be a tad opinionated and harsher. I tell my audience to feel free to ignore, disagree, and even skip over these soapboxes. Here’s an example:
Gifts:
Don’t make people come and watch you open your gifts. That is crazy. People don’t want to. They might say they do. They’re just trying to be nice. Like your baby sister wants to sit around for hours — and it will be hours — to watch you open a million gifts. Seriously, it took my husband and I two days to open all our gifts, because even we tired of it.
Your wedding gifts are really great. It’s like the biggest and best Christmas you ever imagined. For you. For everyone else it’s torture. “Oh look! More towels. Put those with the other 5 sets.” Your mom is interested. Your dad? He’d rather have bamboo shoots shoved underneath his fingernails one by one. (I’m just saying.)
Overall people will care about the things you got, but not each and every thing. The best idea is to write it all down so that when Mom asks, “What did Aunt Laurel give you?” you can sweetly and gratefully respond, “Oh Mom! She gave me the loveliest vacuum. It’s exactly what I always wanted. She’s so awesome!”
See how that’s better? Now you and your new hubby can take your time opening your gifts. You can go through them with honest opinions and think about where you want everything to go. (Like in the attic.) No really, this can be a fun time for you guys to really pay attention to each thing. Instead of pushing it aside to get through it all before your audience runs out of “give a darn.” This will also help you to easily write your thank-you cards as you think about how truly thoughtful each gift was.
Gifts:
Don’t make people come and watch you open your gifts. That is crazy. People don’t want to. They might say they do. They’re just trying to be nice. Like your baby sister wants to sit around for hours — and it will be hours — to watch you open a million gifts. Seriously, it took my husband and I two days to open all our gifts, because even we tired of it.
Your wedding gifts are really great. It’s like the biggest and best Christmas you ever imagined. For you. For everyone else it’s torture. “Oh look! More towels. Put those with the other 5 sets.” Your mom is interested. Your dad? He’d rather have bamboo shoots shoved underneath his fingernails one by one. (I’m just saying.)
Overall people will care about the things you got, but not each and every thing. The best idea is to write it all down so that when Mom asks, “What did Aunt Laurel give you?” you can sweetly and gratefully respond, “Oh Mom! She gave me the loveliest vacuum. It’s exactly what I always wanted. She’s so awesome!”
See how that’s better? Now you and your new hubby can take your time opening your gifts. You can go through them with honest opinions and think about where you want everything to go. (Like in the attic.) No really, this can be a fun time for you guys to really pay attention to each thing. Instead of pushing it aside to get through it all before your audience runs out of “give a darn.” This will also help you to easily write your thank-you cards as you think about how truly thoughtful each gift was.
Book Signing
I have a book signing for my new book, Your LDS Wedding Planner, this Saturday, March, 24th from 9-11am at Seagull Book.(1720 S. Redwood Road)
I’d love to see you there!
I’d love to see you there!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Invitations - Just a Story
You used to choose your wedding invitations from a wide variety put into a book of choices. While I love weddings and I love choices, when it came time for my wedding I just wanted to fast forward to married. I didn't want to plan and make decisions. I wanted to be married.
So, when my mother and her wedding planner friend came at my groom and me with not just one but three giant books of invitation choices to look through, I almost cried. Now, let me help you picture this. Here sit my groom and I—anxious to be married—and after 2 hours of planning and questions about what we want for the wedding plans my mother smiles and eagerly tells me it's time to look at the invitations. I agree and out they come. Three books! Dare I call them that? They were binder-type books about 5 inches thick, each page held two choices.
“Ugh!” I sighed. My mother beamed. My groom, to his credit, patiently sat and waited for his job to be assigned.
"Let's start looking and see what we like," Mom began.
"Oh Mom! There's too many, just pick the cheapest one."
"Come on, Ann. This is fun. You can have whatever one you want."
"But I don't care. You just pick."
"You really can have whichever you want. Which do you want?" asks my groom.
"Just pick what's cheapest. I don't care." I answer.
He stops, looks me in the eye and says, "You're not just being nice, you really don't care?"
"I really don't care." My groom, who my mother adores almost more than she loves me, asks my mother to narrow it down to two and then we'll choose. I of course find this idea brilliant, and not just because my kissy-smooch of a fiancé thought it up.
So my mother narrows down the choices and shows us the final two. "Which do you want?"
Now, in my head I'm thinking, ‘I don't care! They're very similar and both beautiful so either is great.’ But, I know any further lack of decision-making may result in my mother's transformation into a bride eating beast. So, I dutifully choose one. To which my mother replies, "Really?" in that tone. I know you know the tone. You've heard it in your own mother's voice when she asks if you're "really going out like that?"
So she tilts her head and says in her mommy tone, "Really?"
We went with the other invitation.
And they were beautiful. Thanks Mom!
So, when my mother and her wedding planner friend came at my groom and me with not just one but three giant books of invitation choices to look through, I almost cried. Now, let me help you picture this. Here sit my groom and I—anxious to be married—and after 2 hours of planning and questions about what we want for the wedding plans my mother smiles and eagerly tells me it's time to look at the invitations. I agree and out they come. Three books! Dare I call them that? They were binder-type books about 5 inches thick, each page held two choices.
“Ugh!” I sighed. My mother beamed. My groom, to his credit, patiently sat and waited for his job to be assigned.
"Let's start looking and see what we like," Mom began.
"Oh Mom! There's too many, just pick the cheapest one."
"Come on, Ann. This is fun. You can have whatever one you want."
"But I don't care. You just pick."
"You really can have whichever you want. Which do you want?" asks my groom.
"Just pick what's cheapest. I don't care." I answer.
He stops, looks me in the eye and says, "You're not just being nice, you really don't care?"
"I really don't care." My groom, who my mother adores almost more than she loves me, asks my mother to narrow it down to two and then we'll choose. I of course find this idea brilliant, and not just because my kissy-smooch of a fiancé thought it up.
So my mother narrows down the choices and shows us the final two. "Which do you want?"
Now, in my head I'm thinking, ‘I don't care! They're very similar and both beautiful so either is great.’ But, I know any further lack of decision-making may result in my mother's transformation into a bride eating beast. So, I dutifully choose one. To which my mother replies, "Really?" in that tone. I know you know the tone. You've heard it in your own mother's voice when she asks if you're "really going out like that?"
So she tilts her head and says in her mommy tone, "Really?"
We went with the other invitation.
And they were beautiful. Thanks Mom!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Question: Can my groom wear his Armed Forces uniform to the temple?
Answer: Yes. Conditionally.
You are allowed to wear your full dress uniforms to the temple, but it comes with a couple conditions.
You are allowed to wear your full dress uniforms to the temple, but it comes with a couple conditions.
- You may not bring any weapons onto the temple grounds. I know that his weapons are part of the full uniform, but weapons of any kind are not permitted.
- He may wear it into the temple, but not for the ceremony. He can change back into it for the pictures afterward.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Temple Wedding Article
Here the link to a good article from LDS.org about planning a temple wedding. http://www.lds.org/new-era/2004/10/planning-your-temple-wedding?lang=eng It's got some great advice and is worthy of a look over. It includes things like: what can I wear to the temple? and when should I get my recommend from the bishop?
One thing it mentions is that you are required to have two recommends each, a temple recommend and a Living Ordinance recommend. Pay special care to heed this advice, many a couple has shown up to the temple without that Living Ordinance recommend thinking their current temple recommend will suffice. The living ordinance will be required. No recommend, no wedding.
This information will also come on your letter from the temple. READ THE LETTER. It's definitely worth the 5 minutes it will take you. It has valuable information that seems obvious but is commonly the most missed.
One thing it mentions is that you are required to have two recommends each, a temple recommend and a Living Ordinance recommend. Pay special care to heed this advice, many a couple has shown up to the temple without that Living Ordinance recommend thinking their current temple recommend will suffice. The living ordinance will be required. No recommend, no wedding.
This information will also come on your letter from the temple. READ THE LETTER. It's definitely worth the 5 minutes it will take you. It has valuable information that seems obvious but is commonly the most missed.
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