Fido can join the festivities!
Many a bride has considered having their favorite pup be the ring bearer, or even a best man. However, as a wedding planner, I’ve always cringed at the idea as it never is as simple as it seems. How well behaved would your four-footed best friend be if they were walking down the aisle while being stared at by 150 guests? Are you sure they wouldn’t have a call from nature during the ceremony? Would they be well behaved enough to walk the aisle without a leash and attendant? If you have someone escort your fluffy friend, what do they do with your pet after the ceremony? Do they have to leave the festivities to pet sit?
So, imagine my delight when I was contacted by a service that handles all the details for you! Dedi & Gary Wood have added a wonderful wedding pup assistance service to their business, Shadow & Marty’s Puppy Pantry & Services. Everything you need, from bathing Fido before the big ceremony, delivering them to the site, even walking them down the aisle! Not only that, but they’ll happily pet sit throughout the reception if you’d like your pet to attend the entire affair. Of course they also have honeymoon care services too, so you don’t have to worry about Fido being lonely while you’re gone.
Check out their website at www.puppypantrydogtreats.com and click on Wedding Pup Services to get the scoop. You can also check out the article on their services at www.dallasdoglife.com.
Holiday Party Etiquette Reminders
In one of the many treasures I’ve purchased from Barnes & Noble, I found a simple but fab book on napkins. In the book, the author as a list of etiquette tips for both the host and guests of a party. The book is by David Stark and is titled “Napkins With a Twist”. While I don’t typically like to quote others here, I just thought the tips for hosts and guests were too good to pass up, so check this out:
For Hosts:
- Hand address your invitations. Computer labels are appropriate only for junk mail.
- If you want people to dress up, dress down, or anything in between, state it plainly on the invitation. Hinting won’t do.
- Know your guests’ food allergies (as in Are they allergic to meat, fruit, nuts etc.?) and serve accordingly. If you’re not sure, prepare alternative dishes just in case.
- When guests arrive, introduce them to the other guests. Don’t leave it to others to handle this most important task: It’s your duty.
- Place cards are artful ways of orchestrating the evening’s mojo. If guests are hesitant to take their places, it could be because they can’t read the cards – don’t forget that some people won’t be wearing their reading glasses. Offer gentle guidance.
- If guests arrive late, greet them with a warm smile and hearty hello, take their coats, guide them to the table, and say something to make them feel welcome.
- When you’ve had enough of company, serve coffee. It’s the international signal for “get the heck outta here.”
For Guests:
- An invitation requires an RSVP. Period.
- A dinner party requires that you be on time. End of story.
- Always arrive with a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, a small gift, or something. (Be sure it doesn’t have to be used that night.)
- If you’re asked to take off your shoes at the door, just do it. It’s nothing personal.
- Even if you’re not a believer, if the host wants to say grace, go with it.
- If you rememeber nothing else, don’t point, not with your finger, with your hands, or with your knife.
- Turn off your cell phone at the dinner table. If you are truly expecting to be on call for an emergency, turn the phone to vibrate. In the case of that emergency, quietly excuse yourself from the table.
- When you leave, say a gracious, sincere thanks and then get going.
- It is good manners to send a thank-you note. Would it kill you?
The author is very frank about his advice, but for good reason. Many of us forget these simple rules of etiquette and forget why they are there, to make sure everyone is comfortable. Please make sure your guests and hosts are comfortable by remembering these pieces of advice during the holiday party season. Everyone will appreciate it!
Interesting take…
I received this ad by email a few days ago. It just struck me as an interesting take on how to get customers in the door. See, the wedding industry must not be too bad if everyone is trying to be like us. 
Your wedding website
Recently, many of the couples I’ve worked with have created and published a personal website to keep friends and family in the loop about their wedding plans. I love these sites. They often have a history of the couple, such as their engagement story, pictures, introductions to their wedding party members, plus loads of info on the wedding itself, including pictures, website links to vendors and even the ability to request songs for the DJ or band to play at the reception! Such fun and a great tool for getting the word out! Have you created your own website? If so, I’d love to hear from you as to what service you used and what you thought of it. Either email me or just leave a comment. Thanks in advance!
Dos and Don’ts of RSVPs
As much as all brides refer to magazines for advice on everything from dresses to etiquette, the magazines don’t always get it right. I was just reading a quiz in one of them and the question asked was what do you do when 20 invitees do not send back their response cards? The answer rightfully stated the invitees should be called to verify attendance or not. However, it suggested that the bride’s mother be the lucky one to make the phone calls. Unfortunately, this is incorrect according to etiquette and common sense.
While you definitely want to verify attendance so you know how many steak dinners you need to pay for, it is awkward for a guest to tell the bride or her parents an honest no if they do not intend on coming. Save yourself a little heartache and delegate this to those who guests would not find it as awkward to be honest with. If you can, please ask a bridesmaid or your wedding planner to make these calls for you. The calling party can simply say something to the effect of we’ve had some guests that did not receive their invitation and wanted to make sure you had received yours? Will you be attending? If they hesitate, politely let them know a correct headcount is needed for the caterer. The lost invitation line gives them an out for not responding on time and the caterer information lets them know it’s an important request.