Ah!  Such lovely items!  Here is my question/dilemma:

We are having a very small wedding (50 people or fewer) and are on a very tight budget ($3,000).  My family is very small, and last year we had our first family reunion, where I met about 15 family members I had never met before.  They live in Texas and Canada, and my wedding is in South Carolina.  My mom and grandmother both really want me to invite them to the wedding.  However, in order to accomodate these guests, I'm having to cut friends from the list.  I would much rather have my friends at my wedding rather than distant relatives that I've only met once, but they are insisting that it would be so rude of me to not invite them, and citing the ever famous, "They probably won't come!"  My mother is contributing about half the budget, so I get that she should have a say...but I'm also contributing half, so what about my say?

I really don't need gifts, so I would rather have people donate to charity. My mom thinks that it is rude to not give the option of buying something. I wonder what Mindy thinks.

I just had a question about a family friend's wedding I will be attending in May. Her wedding is an extremely over the top traditional Indian wedding and I was invited to all of the three ceremonies/parties on three different days. I do not know if I have to attend all of them, or just one of them. I have a lot going on that weekend, but I do not want to be rude and not attend all three of the days. What should I do?

If my fiance's parents pay for our wedding, do their names come first on our invitations?

What a fabulous contest! My question is this:  We have 160 guests expected at our wedding and do not want to have assigned seating. There will be roaming dinner stations and enough communal and lounge seating for all but we are stumped on how to get guests in their seats! They will be moving from cocktail reception on the patio inside for dinner  so there is a potential for a bottleneck getting through the door. How can we guide guests to seats. Our MC will be informing guests but that doesn't seem like it will be enough to avoid confusion. We are very open to being creative! Help!

We have been planning our wedding for 115 guests at a historic mansion for almost a year now. The wedding, cocktail hour, and reception are all at the estate, but at 3 different locations. I'm a type A bride who has asked the vendors a million questions, informed the bridal party of important notes for the big day, and typed up a detailed timeline that will be given to vendors and the bridal party. I feel like my bases are covered, but I have friends who insist I should hire a "day of" coordinator to make sure everything runs smoothly and say it will be the best money we have spent. Our budget is bursting at the seams, so I hope we can do it on our own, but what if even after the careful planning, things really do get hectic and we need a coordinator after all? Can we really do this on our own?

I absolutely loved looking through all the items in Mindy's lines. There's a ton of cute and creative stuff in there!

My question: We're having a casual afternoon garden/farm wedding in June and we've made the decision to not serve any alcohol. We absolutely want the beverages we serve to be creative, but not in a way that will highlight our lack of booze  What are some unique ways to have and serve non-alcoholic drink options?

I love Mindy's new book and the way she speaks from the heart even though she's a celebrity. I just want to know what her favorite colors and flowers are right now.

I'm having a summer picnic wedding and am wondering just how casual I can be with my dress: is a knee-length sheath too unimpressive for the ooh-ah factor? Is the dress an important part of the wedding for guests?

And a bonus question: who do you recommend for alterations? The particular summery sheath dress I have in mind isn't as form-fitting as I'd like...

Thank you!!

I'm so excited to see Junebug is going to feature Mindy Weiss.  We carry her wonderful products from the Two's Company line at All About Weddings and they have been so warmly received.

My question for Mindy, (as a retailer of many different wedding invitation lines) is what are the most popular lines you are seeing in the L.A. area for wedding invitations?  I'm heading for the National Stationery Show in May and want to know about anything new I should be keeping my eye out for.

Wow! this is great! My question is: Is it fine to pay suppliers in advance of the agreed date, will it affect their on the day performance? We are almost done in paying the downpayment and reservation fee for the suppliers, what's left is the full payment, which will be given on the day of the event. We are planning to advance the payment to avoid hassle on our part. Would it be a nice idea?

I would love to hear Mindy's advice on the following question.  I just have no idea whether we're OK or way off base with our dinner plan!

We're having a formal dinner with three small courses and plenty of wine for our fall wedding.  (We love long dinners that leave plenty of time to chat with friends!)  But... we're considering an all veggie set menue.  Is this going to cause a probem?  Do we need to do an entree choice?  Help!

I would love to know how to handle the following situation……I am getting married in October and have asked all my bridesmaids to be a part of the wedding but I just found out one my girls is expecting less then 2 weeks before my wedding.  We both agreed it would be best for everyone involved that she not be a bridesmaid anymore since we don’t know if she could go late or have any problems.  Instead she will be a personal attendant if she is able to be there.  Since I haven’t ordered my bridesmaids dresses would it be wrong to ask someone else to be in the wedding?  How would I go about doing that without that person feeling like they were an after thought?

We have a strict budget to adhere to and I am wondering if it would be O.K. to have a cocktail hour without any Hors D'oeuvres. Omitting our venue's option for appetizers saves us $4000 and puts us right in our budget. The idea would be to have dinner immediately following the cocktail hour. What do you think?

One more question: Our venue is adding a 20% service charge into the price. I am wondering if this means that after everything is said and done we will have to tip the staff or is the service charge the tip?

I love Mindy! I already bought the rhinestone appliques - such a great something blue!

My question - What's the most appropriate way to word a cocktail and hors 'doeuvres reception? And is it appropriate to have a ceremony at 7 pm with this type of reception to follow? We're trying to save money by not having dinner.

Thanks!!

Hi Mindy! Thanks for the opportunity to ask you some questions.

My question is how to keep your overall theme going throughout the wedding without it looking like "too much" or tacky.

And second question is what would be your advice for keeping a theme creative and fun, while involving the quests?

Thanks!! Cant wait for the new column!

Mindy, you're so inspirational!

I'm a wedding photographer now planning her own wedding.  People keep asking me who's going to photography MY wedding, and all I can think about is how much I'll want to carry my camera with me to be sure and catch all the things that inspire me.  My question is, how can I better manage my day from a photographer-bride standpoint....   just absorbing the events of the day vs. trying to seize the moments from behind the lens?

Hi Mindy,

Currently my wedding date is set for next summer (2010). My unique situation is that we are having a ceremony in Peru, and another one in California for those who cannot make it. My question is when should I send "save the date's" and when should I send out the actual invitations? My only concern is allowing everyone, including me, enough of a grace period to prepare for accommodations, etc.

How fab!  I can't wait to read Mindy's column, just another great thing to look forward to on Junebug wedding!

My question is, one of my bridesmaids is a student and makes much less than the others, who have decent jobs.  I want to help her out with the dress and contribute to her travel expenses since she also has to come the farthest, but I can't afford to help out each of my bridesmaids with the same amount.  How can I approach this situation and 1) be sensitive about offering help and 2) address (or not) the fact that I'm helping one more than the others?

Thanks!

Hi Mindy -

My fiance and I are both in grad school and don't have any money above what our parents are contributing.  We have the location, caterer, photographer, and band but that has taken up most of the budget.  I'm trying to think of low cost centerpieces and would love any ideas you have.  Also, I know someone who said when they see a centerpiece that isn't a floral arrangement they think that the bride and groom were "too cheap."  Is there some kind of balance?

Thanks!

Hi- My fiance and I are planning a rather large wedding with lots of out of town guests. We tried to set up an all inclusive bowling themed rehearsal instead of the typical expensive dinner, but unfortunately the places near us have league nights.  Do you have any novel suggestions for a rehearsal party?  (Keep in mind we're getting married in Nov in the North East so outdoor stuff wouldn't work)

Hi! What a great idea to have Mindy comment on your website! Love Junebug!

My question for Mindy is that when I first started my wedding my main color was Blue, hence the bridesmaids dresses are sapphire blue, as well as the invitations have some blue in them.

Afterwards, when picking Linens we ended up with Gold tablecloths and chocolate napkins, we loved the look! and blue tablecloths or napkins did not.

I managed to tie my invites with a gold ribbon, but how do I tie in anywhere in the reception? I haven't been able to figure it out!

Thanks,

Veronica

How many tables should we have with seating and how many hi-tops for a "heavy hors douvers" reception for 100 people?  My mom wants 100% seating, and there's not enough room!

wow, i didn´t know Mindy weiss, these stuff is great

Hi There -

I am such a huge fan of Mindy & all her creative elements she brings to a wedding!

My question is, when someone asks you why they should spend the extra money on a wedding planner when there is someone at the venue to assist them, how do you answer that?  Time and time again I face this question and as I get ready to plan my own wedding, I want to know exactly why I should spend those extra dollars!

Thanks for your advice and for sharing your creativity!

Katie

I found June Bug Weddings for the first time today and I feel like I've missed out!!! My wedding is only 6 months away! My question is how much do you tip to your vendors? To which vendors do you? What if the tip was included? We didn't factor this into our budget =( We are already over.. what are last minute bridal things that I can do to cut costs down =)

Mindy,

My wedding is on a tight budget even if my parents contribute, which I hope they do.  Right now my mom wants us to wait on the wedding, not have it in September but next March.  We are both ready to marry and want to continue on with our plans.  Is there a nice way to work this out with my mom?  Should I just plan a small and v. cheap wedding without the help of my parents or should I ask for their help?  Also viable options you have for a less expensive ($300) dress that is still princess (1940's) like?  

Thanks!

Mindy,

We are having our Spring wedding ceremony at 12:00pm with a lunch reception to follow.  Do you have any ideas to give a special touch to an afternoon reception?  I'm having a hard time finding inspiration.

Hey Mindy,

I love your product line and blog. I purchased your baby blue wedding planner. This planner has saved my life many times and I'll cotinue using it for my wedding. It's so much fun to learn something new every day from the guru herself. Well, my question is...my fiance and I would love to encourage guests to donate for charity as their wedding gift; a lot of couples are asking for that! However, Josh and I are trying to save for a new house. During these challenging times, you know how difficult it can be for a couple to plan/finance their wedding, as well as, save money for a new house. Since there are a lot of couples choosing a charity as their choice for a wedding gift, do you think it's inappropriate for use to ask for a money gift that will go towards our future home? Your advice is a greatly needed and appreciated.

Sincerely,

Nikanne (aka. #1 Fan)

Hello Mindy,

For our wedding next spring I am planning on having dinner stations rather then a sit down dinner. When doing this, is it necessary to have enough seating for everyone or is it ok to mix in large rounds with cocktail tables? If it is necessary to have enough seating for everyone then is it a good idea to do assigned seating?

Thanks!

Julie

I love your site, I read it daily. I have been dreaming of my wedding day since I was eight years old, when I witnessed my first wedding at the Hotel Del Coronado. I have never really cared for big birthday parties, or any other sort of big event for myself. The only big event that I ever wanted was my wedding day. However, my fiance has been against big weddings his entire life. We are in the midst of planning a fairly large wedding in Los Angeles this coming December. My fiance and I have been at odds with each other concerning almost every detail of this wedding. He is a very private person and is afraid that the wedding will become more about everyone else and not about us.

How can I make my fiance feel comfortable with the wedding, and assure him that it will be a day about the two of us? He has recently said he would go through with the whole big event for me, but I want to make him feel at ease with the entire event.

What suggestions do you have for making the day feel personal and intimate? As well what can I do to make my fiance not feel overwhelmed with this whole event? Help...............

Thank you!

Dear Mindy,

My fiancee and I found a beautiful location for our wedding and decided to have both the ceremony and reception in one spot.  There is only one main room at the venue so we will have to move right from the ceremony into the reception in the same space.  Do you have any ideas for making the transition from ceremony to reception a little smoother and less awkward?  I would truly appreciate your insight!

Mindy,

big question on whether I am supposed to tip the caterer's? photographer's, video etc?

I used to work in the restaurant industry so I know the talk that goes on when you mess up and don’t tip etc. I don’t want to be caught in that situation, what is your opinion on this?

Thanks

AP in Seattle.