Don't Forget Stamps!

On the list of things that I think are probably the most overlooked by brides, stamps just has to be one of them.  Perhaps that's because I didn't give a second thought to purchasing stamps until my printer informed me that they would be ready in a week and I wanted to get them mailed as soon as possible.  After a failed attempt to buy the stamps I wanted in the quantity I needed at the post office (and losing a half hour of my life waiting in line), I found it easiest just to go online and order everything from USPS.com, which has a collection of wedding stamps!  If you're in a hurry to get your invites out, make sure you avoid my mistake and think ahead and get your stamps in plenty of time.  I'm majorly hearting these royal love stamps, a new addition to the wedding collection.

Another thing to remember: Weigh your invitation set, as many sets are made of thicker (translation: heavier) paper and/or include lots of additions (RSVP cards, directions, etc.) and that means that your standard $0.44 stamp might not be enough.  I purchased these pretty $0.61 stamps for the outsides of the invitations, and used the royal love stamps for our RSVP card envelopes. Etiquette tip: Don't forget to stamp and include a return address on the outside of your RSVP card envelopes so your guests don't have to do it!

Should the Bride & Groom Exchange Gifts?

With my wedding date quickly approaching (only 2 months from yesterday :-) I have begun frantically trying to think of all the odds and ends that that still need to be done before my big day.  As I was reminiscing about a friend's wedding a couple of years ago, I remembered that the groom gave the bride a lovely gift before the ceremony.  Obviously the groom giving the bride a wedding gift is a tradition that many couples no longer adhere to, yet as it is still quite common I think it deserves some thought.  Nowadays, many couples also alter the tradition by having both the bride and the groom exchange gifts.  I've even heard of a bride who got her groom a present, and the favor was not returned!

That being said, my gut reaction to this tradition is that I do not like what it represents.  While it is of course thoughtful for the bride and/or groom to exchange gifts, I feel that doing so detracts from the fact that the ultimate gift to each other is the marriage.  Shouldn't pledging to spend the rest of your life together be enough? Conversely, I do think it would be nice for the bride and groom to write love notes (or poems, songs, or art) to each other before the wedding.  This is something that is a very inexpensive gift, yet it is a sentimental keepsake that, if thoughtfully constructed, would probably mean much more to a bride than another piece of jewelry or such. 

Letterpress card from Lucky Bee Press