Planning Tips & Advice Archive

“If you have many guests traveling from near and far for your wedding, it’s a wonderful touch to give them a welcome bag or basket upon their arrival! These serve as a sweet “thank you” for coming and also ensure that your guests are comfortable while away from home.” ~Nashville Wedding Planner, Kristin Kaplan of Simply Stunning Events Nashville

So, what are some good things to include in your welcome bags for guests?  Below, we have a few ideas from Kristin and Nashville wedding designer Amber Housley:

Kristin suggests starting with the basics…

• Two small bottles of water
• Some small sodas
• Snacks (include something sweet and something salty)
• Individual packets of Advil or Tylenol
• A guidebook of things to do and places to eat in Nashville
• A note thanking your guests for coming

“….and to create a welcome gift bag with some Nashville flair, try including some Nashville postcards, Loveless jams, Moon Pies, Yazoo beer, Jack Daniel’s whiskey, Lynchburg cakes and candy, or Goo-goo clusters.” ~Kristin

Here is what Amber suggested to Southern Weddings to add some Nashville flavor:

And for cute Nashville tote bags, Amber created this overlay (Download the PDF here):

“Another idea is to create a welcome bag that shows off what makes you unique as a couple! You can include some items that allow guests to learn a little more about you such as items native to your hometowns or the city where you met, a favorite movie to watch in the hotel room, your favorite snacks and drinks, or create a booklet that tells the story of how you met since not everyone attending may truly know the details. Symbolic items with attached notes are always fun too. For example, a couple that met in the “Big Apple” might include a green apple in their bag.” ~Kristin

Have any other suggestions on things to include in the Nashville tote? Leave a comment in the box below!!

When it comes to picking out a wedding cake, every bride is different. Some would prefer to splurge on a beautifully designed cake that will act as the focal point of their reception, while others prioritize taste above intricate designs. Below are some helpful tips to read before budgeting and shopping for your wedding cake from TheKnot.com, along with some beautiful Nashville wedding cake photos from Royal Icing to inspire your search!

1. Taste the Cake – As you start setting up appointments, find out when each baker’s next tasting is scheduled. At tastings, clients are invited into the bakery to sample exemplary cakes, ask questions, and review portfolios. This is an excellent opportunity to meet bakers and fully understand the range of their abilities.

Royal Icing Custom Cakes

2. Select a Style – Deal with the cake after all decisions about dress style and reception decor have been made. These elements can serve as a blueprint for the design and structure of your wedding cake. Choose a cake that’s compatible with the style of the venue, the season, your gown, the flower arrangements, or the menu. If you want colorful accents (such as sugar flowers or icing ribbons), give your baker fabric swatches. The cake should be part of the wedding, not a glaring sideshow.

3. Size it Up – Generally, three tiers will serve 50 to 100 guests; you’ll likely need five layers for 200 guests or more. If the reception is in a grand room with high ceilings, consider increasing the cake’s stature with columns between the tiers. (A “stacked” cake is one with its layers stacked directly atop each other, with no separators.)

Royal Icing Custom Cakes

4. Price it Out – Wedding cake is often priced by the slice — the cost varies, but generally ranges from $1.50 to $15 per slice (though this is a very general and loose estimate). The more complicated the cake (based on intricate decorations or hard-to-find fillings), the higher the price tag. Fondant icing is more expensive than buttercream, and if you want elaborate molded shapes, vibrant colors, or handmade sugar-flower detailing, you’ll pay for the cake designer’s labor.

Royal Icing Custom Cakes

5. Find Ways to Save – Order a small cake that’s decorated to perfection but can only feed a handful plus several sheet cakes of the same flavor to actually feed the guests. Stay away from tiers, handmade sugar flowers, and specially molded shapes. Garnish with seasonal flowers and fruit for an elegant (but less expensive) effect. If you’ll have a dessert table (or another sweet) in addition to the cake, consider a cake sized for half your guests. Servings will be smaller, but the fee will shrink too.

Royal Icing Custom Cakes

6. Get the Facts on Frosting – Buttercream or fondant? That’s the main question. Buttercream is often much more delicious. But if you love the smooth, almost surreal-like look of fondant as much as we do, consider frosting the cake in buttercream first and then adding a layer of fondant over the entire confection.

7. Consider the Weather – If you’re having an outdoor wedding in a hot climate, stay away from whipped cream, meringue, and buttercream: They melt. Ask your baker about summer icing options; You might want to go for a fondant-covered cake — it doesn’t even need to be refrigerated.

Royal Icing Custom Cakes

8. Mind your Magazines – Keep in mind, magazines have food stylists, editors, and assistants working nonstop to keep the cakes looking perfect. These people spend hours fixing the sweating, dripping, leaning, or sagging that can happen to a cake after it’s been sitting for a while. And if what they do doesn’t work, they can fix it with Photoshop. They also have the luxury of creating cakes from stuff that isn’t edible — most cakes in magazines are iced pieces of Styrofoam, which certainly doesn’t taste very good. So don’t expect your cake designer to be able to replicate exactly what you see in print.

9. Take Note: It’s All in the Details – When it comes to decoration, adornment costs run the gamut. The most inexpensive option is fresh fruits or flowers that, in some instances, can be applied by your florist for a minimal fee. On the high end are delicate gum paste or sugar paste flowers, which are constructed by hand, one petal at a time. But here’s the bottom line: All add-ons — including marzipan fruits, chocolate-molded flowers, and lace points — will raise the rate. (For the record, we think it’s worth the cost!)

Royal Icing Custom Cakes

10. Encourage Cake Collaboration – If you want to garnish your cake with fresh flowers, find out if the cake designer will work with your florist, or if you are responsible for the blooms. If the florist is running the show, will she have time to adorn the cake? Be wary of elaborate floral accents if your reception space decor is labor-intensive.

11. Get Him Involved – The popularity of the groom’s cake, traditionally a Southern custom, is on the rise. The bride’s cake — the one cut by the couple at the reception — is traditionally eaten as dessert. The groom’s cake is usually darker and richer (often chocolate) and nowadays crafted to show off the groom’s passions and obsessions. Give slices to guests as a take-home memento or cut and serve both for dessert.

Royal Icing Suitcase Groom’s Cake

12. Go Mini? – Many bakers agree that the idea of a mini cake (where each guest gets his or her own) is a great idea — in theory, but not always in practice. Not only does each cake require its own decoration (often as intricate, if not more, than one that’s four times its size), each will require its own box. Unfortunately, boxes don’t come in mini-cake sizes. Often the bakery must construct individual boxes in which to transport these cakes. Multiply by however many guests you’ll be having, and you’ll see what a costly, time-consuming feat this actually is. That said, if you can swing it, they look amazing being passed around by waiters on sleek silver trays (and of course, they taste just as great too).

13. Get it on Display – Your cake will likely be on display before it’s cut and consumed. Make sure there is a designated cake table that allows the most elegant presentation possible. A round table is perfect for round cakes, but a linear cake design may call for a rectangular table. Figure out your options. Once you have a caketable, have fun dressing it up: Drape it with sumptuous fabrics and decorate it with motifs, colors, and flowers to match the cake (your florist can help).

Suspended Cake Design by Brocade Nashville

14. Top it Off – There are many beautiful and unique ways to top off your cake, so you can avoid plastic figurines (unless you’re going for cool-kitsch). If you have an heirloom piece — especially a fine porcelain antique — work with your baker to integrate it into an appropriate design. A pair of sugar or gingerbread cookies can look charming atop a country wedding cake. Finely sculpted maple sugar or marzipan figurines are quaint. Other alternatives: a bouquet of sugar flowers, a cascade of icing ribbons, or even a sugar block carved out to reveal your new monogram.

Royal Icing Custom Cakes

15. Lock Down Delivery Details – Cake delivery takes coordination. Complex cakes may not necessarily be delivered in final form. Allow time and space for assembly, if needed. Refrigeration may also be required.

16. After the Wedding – Avoid freezer burn! Even if you take the most painstaking packaging measures, eating the top tier of your cake on your first anniversary sounds far better than it tastes. Think about indulging on your two-week or one-month anniversary, and treat yourself to a fresh cake in the same flavor when you’ve survived the first year. If you must adhere to tradition, wrap the cake in plastic wrap, then bag it in an airtight baggie. Stay away from aluminum foil — it might not protect against freezer burn as well as plastic wrap because it’s not an airtight material.

StudioWed Nashville | Nashville Wedding | Nashville Wedding Cake

“What’s so hard about a guest list?”

It’s true.  It seems so simple. But once you start, you are bound to have a few questions and problems you didn’t foresee…

…like having to cut the list down due to budget constraints, explaining to some people why they weren’t invited, friends asking to bring guests, or the age old problem of your mother running into your elementary school’s PTA treasurer whom she hasn’t seen in 6 years but now expects an invite in her mailbox by Monday. Eeeeek.

So, we want to help! Below, we have compiled a list of what we think are some common guest list concerns from The Knot’s Q&A queen, Carley. For more of her etiquette advice, visit theknot.com, where she covers everything from who you should invite and who you can leave out (your boss? your ex? your dentist?) to how to handle any awkward encounters with poise and not lose any friends in the process.

[Below: All Photos by Kristyn Hogan Photography]

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Q. I invited a single friend with a guest, and when she returned the reply card, she’d written another female friend of hers. She’s not seeing this person, so she’s just a friend and definitely not a date — I don’t want to pay for her friend! What can I do?

A. Unfortunately, when you invite someone “and guest,” the choice is theirs, not yours. While it is a bit unusual that this person chose to invite a friend rather than a date, you didn’t specify one way or the other who she was to bring, so you can’t really stop her from doing so. Instead of writing “and guest” on all your single friends’ invites, avoid this guest gaffe by calling invitees in advance to find out their guests’ names. Though it’s more legwork, it’s more proper to have both invitees’ names written out on the invitation (even if you don’t personally know one of the individuals very well) and it saves you from any surprises later. While you might not be happy with the outcome in this case, think of it this way: You had already budgeted in someone for her to hang with — even if they’re romantically linked, its hardly the be-all and end-all of your big day.

Kristyn Hogan Photography

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Q. I have a wedding budget that allows for about 150 guests, but my fiance and I have so many friends that our current list already exceeds 250! I keep looking at it and just can’t cut any names without feeling terrible. How can we trim our wedding guest list without the guilt?

A. Rest assured that a bulging-at-the-seams guest list is a common wedding planning occurrence, and can be remedied somewhat painlessly. You are probably feeling so excited about sharing this joyous occasion with everyone you know that you just can’t bear to leave anyone off the list. But, truth be told, most of us can’t afford to invite everyone we know to our weddings, so start trimming! First, go over your list with your fiance and put each guest into category A or B. The As are the absolute must-invites, and likely include your family and closest friends. The B list is for all of those remaining. Now weed out your B list by asking yourself some questions: How close are you with this person? When was the last time you saw or spoke to this person? Would having him or her there on your wedding day really make or break your enjoyment? Based on your answers, you should be able to significantly reduce your overall list.

Other ways to consider cutting back: Leave off old high school or college friends whom you’re pretty sure you’ll never see again; second and third cousins whose names you can barely remember; and your parents’ extras (unless, of course, your parents are footing the bill). Make your wedding adults-only (skip anyone under 18); invite single people sans guests (and seat them together so they’ll mix and mingle); and don’t feel obligated to invite coworkers or business associates. Lastly, don’t feel pressured to invite people just because you were invited to their weddings. You may still feel bad about cutting people, but the reality is, it’s one of the surest ways to save lots of money and have the wedding of your dreams.

Kristyn Hogan Photography

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Q. My fiance and I are paying for most of our wedding and we are on a tight budget. We would like to invite as many people as possible, which makes it tough to invite singles with guests. Is it acceptable to invite single family and friends but not include “and guest” on their invitations? My fiance says we have to allow wedding guests to bring a date out of courtesy. I just don’t want to eliminate people just because we’re obligated to let them bring a guest that we can’t afford. What should we do?

A. This is an age-old debate. Your fiance has a point — it is gracious to allow single guests to bring a date so they won’t feel awkward or left out. But your point is valid too — if you can’t afford the extra guests, it may be even worse to cut people from your guest list just because you can’t let them bring a friend. Deal with this problem on a case-by-case basis. If you have unmarried friends and relatives in long-term relationships, you might want to consider inviting their partners. (Even though they’re not married, they’re committed.) Then, invite your more single friends and relatives without dates rather than crossing them off your wedding guest list altogether. If anyone complains, simply explain your dilemma — it was important that they be there, but that you couldn’t afford to invite dates. Then, carefully consider where to seat them at the wedding; you may want to put them with other singles so they won’t get stuck at a table of couples. Who knows, two of your guests might even make a match at your wedding!

Kristyn Hogan Photography

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Q. I’m trying to figure out my total wedding budget, and I know that the only way to really cut back is to trim the guest list. However, I’ve also heard that you can factor in at least 10, if not 20 percent of guests as no-shows. Should I go ahead then and budget for the cost of how many people I think will actually show up, instead of the cost of my entire wedding guest list?

A. In a word: no. This is a case where you should definitely err on the side of caution. While it’s true that chances are slim every last guest you invite will be able to make it to your wedding, it’s definite that it will be a huge headache for you to scrounge up more dough if more guests than you expected say that they’ll be able to make it. The solution? Cut down your guest list to a size your money can manage, and until every last RSVP card has come in (and every last phone call to track down those errant replies has gone out), assume that they’re all going to be there. Then if your final headcount is lower than you expected, great — you’ll be able to pass that number on to your caterer, rental company, and so on, and the money is still yours.

Kristyn Hogan Photography

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Q. My fiance and I are having a small, intimate wedding, and I’m afraid some friends will be offended that they’re not invited. What should we do?

A. Be honest with your friends. Simply explain that your wedding is going to be very small and with two families to accommodate, it’s simply impossible to invite everyone you want to (it’s okay to fudge a little). This might be a difficult conversation, but if they really are your friends, they should understand.

When making up your guest list, keep in mind that if you have to give a great amount of thought to whether to invite a specific person, you probably should keep them off the list. And never invite anyone out of guilt. As a wise wedding planner once said, “Your wedding guests should be the people you both adore.” Think of yourselves as the party planners of a grand event, and like all good party planners, you have to be the ones to draw the line. After all, it’s your party — and you should invite whom you want!

Hope you found Carley’s advice helpful!

In last week’s post, The Essential Wedding Invitation Do’s and Don’t’s, we learned from wedding etiquette expert Emily Post never to include registry or gift information with the wedding invitation. But with new online registry options, popular wedding websites, and everything from honeymoon to lingerie and charity registries, the world of wedding gifts can be overwhelming. Here are some registry-specific tips and advice from Emily Post to guide you through the process!

Registry Etiquette

“Registries are incredibly organized and helpful, and it is not “greedy” to register. Most guests find registries a very efficient way to select a gift that the couple would like, would need, and that wouldn’t be duplicated by other guests. While it’s okay to have more than one registry, draw the line at three. You want to be helpful by offering your guests variety, not self-indulgent by listing your every wish in the world.

It’s fine to have a less traditional registry – one with gardening equipment or camping gear – but include a traditional one, too, even if it isn’t very full. Many guests, especially older ones, will feel much more comfortable with a few classic options. As shower gifts are typically less expensive than wedding gifts, it might be a good idea to set up a shower registry separate from your wedding registry with lower-priced items, especially if there is a shower theme.

The best registries have a mix of both prices and types of items, so that all of your guests will feel comfortable finding something they will be excited to give you.  An eager young groom once asked if it was okay for him to register for an electric razor for himself. Technically, there isn’t a “rule” against it. But there’s also a high likelihood that the razor will linger unchosen, as it’s a personal item, rather than something for the bride and groom to share in their new life together.”

Registering for Cash

“It has always been acceptable to give cash (or a check) to the bride and groom. It is also now okay for the couple to signal that gifts of money would be welcome. As with registries, give this information out by word of mouth: “Of course we would love anything you get us, but we could really use help with a down-payment on our first home.” It’s okay to say “cash,” but if that makes you uncomfortable, “donation,” “help,” or “contribution” are all good substitutes.

While there are websites that help to facilitate cash gifts, it’s best to have at least one other online registry as well, as many guests may not feel comfortable having no traditional gift options to choose from. Just remember: in the end, the choice of gift is always up to the giver, so great aunt Edna might still buy you a blender.”