Prenuptial Agreements – Should You Have One?

Most people view “prenuptial agreements” or “pre-nups” as distasteful or as a sign of distrust between a couple planning to get married. There’s always the connotation that this piece of paper is insurance when the couple’s “happily ever after” take a turn into a battle in the divorce court; and that it is for the truly wealthy and celebrities only.

Will you put car, home, health and life insurance in the same light? I don’t think so. Prenuptial agreements are similar to these insurances – no one anticipates an accident, fire, major sickness, death or divorce. We certainly do not want to talk about it, but it can happen and sometimes it does happen to us when we least expected; and it is best to be prepared.

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Writing Thank You Notes

Writing thank you notes for all the gifts you received is your next big challenge after your wedding.  This could be daunting, especially if you had hundreds of guests to thank.  Here are some tips to help you alleviate your fears of tackling the “thank you notes” writing:

Start from the Planning Stage

Assign someone with the responsibility of listing gifts that you received during your engagement, bridal showers and wedding gifts.  The list will contain the name of the giver, a short description of what was given, the occasion (engagement, bridal shower,  wedding), the date the gift was received and a space to place a check mark once the thank you cards are mailed.  You can use a simple Excel file to create this list.  This way, you have all the names of the persons you need to send thank you notes.

Avoid Procrastination

Refer to the gift list above and write the thank you note within two weeks after you receive the gift, but the sooner, the better.  This way you do not have to write all of them at the same time.  Your notes will sound more sincere because you do not have to rush writing them.  Once the thank you note has been mailed, place a check mark next to the guest’s name and watch your list fill with check marks.

Writing Tips

• Sending thank you notes through emails is not appropriate.

• Send handwritten thank you notes.  They do not need to be written in calligraphy, but do write legibly.

• Acknowledge each gift separately. For example, if you receive an engagement gift, a bridal shower gift and a wedding gift from your friend, Mary, send her 3 thank you notes – one for each of the gifts. [Read more]

Is Elopement Right For You?

Planning An Elopement

Choosing to elope is a very personal decision. Eloping means that you and your fiancé decide to get married alone with no traditional wedding ceremony or reception. It is usually done in secret. Deciding to elope is often a very spontaneous decision, and something that a couple doesn’t plan very far ahead of time. Some people also consider a destination wedding to be an elopement, but this is not a true interpretation of the term. Since a destination wedding or even a small at-home wedding still involves guests, invitations, and a reception, these are not “real” elopements in the traditional way.

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Wedding Etiquette – Tipping Your Wedding Vendors

WHO TO TIP AND HOW MUCH TO TIP

It may be the last thing a frugal bride wants to hear, but tipping wedding vendors is an absolute requirement.  You will benefit to plan for this early in the planning process.  Never take the amount you are being charged at face value.  Always factor in your tip so that you don’t come up short on the big day.

When determining who to tip and how much they should get, the first thing you need to find out is if there are any gratuities included. Many vendors now include gratuities in the bill. This is especially common among caterers.  If your caterer included gratuities, you do not need to tip your servers.  If gratuity is not included, it is important to consult with the catering company on the best method for tipping.

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Wedding Etiquette – Bridal Registry

One of the most fun and exciting parts of planning a wedding is going shopping with your fiancé and selecting items for your bridal registry.  While you can’t politely broadcast your wish list, most guests will ask what kinds of gifts you want to receive.  Therefore, it is important to be prepared with an answer.

The most common way of selecting gifts for a wedding is through a bridal registry.  You can now find bridal registries at almost any store from Crate&Barrel to Target.  Choose one or two of your favorite stores and visit their website or inquire in person about their bridal registries. [Read more]

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