Vistaprint for our invitations. Not only can I make the invitation exactly what I want (with some limitations, paper weight and font choices being two of them), they will cost a fraction of what other 'wedding invitation' printers charge. And after all, a wedding invitation is an announcement of your wedding - something that most people will eventually throw in the trash (save for moms and other sentimental friends). Most couples have wedding websites, and have used Save the Dates to announce their big days, minimizing the traditional purpose of the wedding invitation. Plus, if I can spend $80 as opposed to $280, why wouldn't I put the money toward something that is part of the experience in the day itself, such as a live band, cooler OOT bag gifts for the guests, or even part of another night for the honeymoon? I suppose it's a matter of priorities, and I feel mine changing somewhat constantly since this whole thing started. I'm torn between "I will have no regrets and will have what I want" and "It's just one day!" Has anyone else experienced this, and if so, what did you do to sort it out?
very culture has its own traditions that accompany a wedding celebration. Certainly, the FI and I have both talked about various traditions from our respective cultures (Swedish, Norwegian, and Korean) and how we might incorporate these into the festivities. For example, in Norway, the bride might wear a crown of silver jewels and bangles that make noise to ward off evil spirits. In a traditional Korean ceremony, hand-carved wooden wedding geese are given to the bride and groom as a symbol for a long and happy marriage. I thought also to look at some traditions from Mexico. Some of these traditions include: the guests at a Mexican wedding have a lovely old custom of forming a circle around the couple in the shape of a heart, and the newlyweds will then dance their first dance together within this circle of love; a rope (sometimes a rosary or wreath of orange 
blossoms, fertility symbols) is wound around the couple's heads in a figure eight as they take their vows; the wedding cake is usually a fruitcake soaked in rum; and, the couple may hit a pinata during the reception, which then showers gifts of candies onto the guests. With all of these options, how does one choose which elements to incorporate?
eld the morning after the wedding night, and although the name implies that harm will come to that expensive dress you spent months looking for and pining over, the purpose of this new-tradition is not to trash the dress. Instead, it is an opportunity for the bride and groom (and their photographer) to take photos in interesting poses and locations that would not be as easily done on wedding day (when the bride is trying to keep herself clean). The focus of this shoot is typically the glamour and artfulness of the photos, and usually the work is relatively candid in nature, so it gives the bride and groom a chance to naturally move together and see what happens. At first, I was not a huge fan of this idea, but the more I read about it - and quite honestly, the more photos I see from these types of shoots on or near the beach - the more exciting it seems. Is it creating 'just another opportunity' for a bride and groom to have pictures taken of themselves? Probably. But the possibilities the day after the wedding, when the stress has diminished and the properness of the day are gone...that is appealing to me. 
are just a few to whet your appetite (credit is given directly on the photos). 
I found it! Inspiration!! It caught me off-guard because I was actually looking for invitation ideas, but I LOVE the lastest posting on the Style Me Pretty blog that details how to make your own starfish boutonnieres. Very rarely do I drift toward the phrase DIY (do-it-yourself) in the bridal blogs that I read - in fact, it is usually quite the opposite (run screaming away from it). I have always been somewhat of the mind that if other humans out there ha
ve creative skill sets and are willing to sell me their products, I would rather buy from them than try to make them myself and end up with a lesser product. Plus, it keeps the spirit of a free marketplace alive and well (in my head).
Backing up just a moment - I do not have anything against floral boutonnieres, but I do have something against paying $36 per boutonniere when my wedding is set in a tropical location (where native flowers SHOULD be cheaper). My own little crusade to buck the system and not pay anything extra to the resort has led me down the road to floral alternatives, both for the bridesmaids and groomsmen. I came across a photo of shell boutonnieres in a magazine, and then when I saw this one I thought, okay, perhaps these aren't as chintzy as I once thought. Plus, you could add greenery or a ribbon accent pretty easily and make them less stark.
The original inspiration came from Blooms Design Studio. And just to show the wide differential in cost, the starfish run about $.60 each (available at various online stores), and the backing pins are $5.95 for 144 (any craft store carries these). Ribbon is available in so many places, but I found one I like at RibbonsGalore. You could also do something similar with sand dollars.
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