Wrapping up all that I learned at Hyde Park boutique Poême the other week, I’ll start with the three things Kristen and Phil (co-owners) recommend you know before you visit to find your invitations.

1. Budget. Have in mind what you are comfortable spending on your invitations. $500? $5,000? $200? $10,000? All budgets can be accommodated, but it is always helpful to know ahead of time what you would like to spend. That way your stationer can recommend the best options for your budget.
2. Quantity. How many invitations will you need? This will of course affect your pricing but also is often confused with the number of guests you are inviting. If you are inviting 200 guests, you won’t necessarily need 200 invitations. Between couples and families, your invitation count could be much lower.
3. Color and style. Come in with an idea of at least the styles and colors you do like and don’t like. Talk this over with your fiance to make sure you are both on the same page before you order.

Once you know those three things, you can make an appointment to meet and peruse invitations that meet your style and budget needs. I had so much fun looking through all of their catalogs! There are so many, and I also learned that there are a ton of ways you can customize a catalog invitation, to the point where it looks completely different from its view in-book (see an example at left below). By customizing invitations from an album, you can get something that looks very different without having to pay prices of completely custom-designed invitations (although custom invitations are also an option at Poême). You can often get matching pieces (menu cards, thank you notes, etc.) even if they are not shown in the catalog, if you let your stationer know ahead of time that you would like them.

A few of the catalogs/albums Poême carries: Checkerboard has great themed invitations and is especially good for travel themes or destination weddings. Checkerboard also offers thermography printing which creates a similar appearance to engraving, but at a lesser cost. The Smock catalog offers eco-friendly invitations letterpressed on bamboo stock (these typically range between $20 and $30 a piece). Good Girls Gifts offers hand-stitched invitations (not often seen in catalog options); the invite shown at right above starts at $13 a piece for 100 invites. Most albums are not hand-crafted however – if you want add-ons such as a tied ribbon, remember that a person will have to do that to each individual invitation, which will of course increase your costs.

Last but not least, the top three things that I think you should know about Poême:

1. They truly do have options for every budget. Poême is often thought of as the go-to place for high-end paper goods, and while this is true, they have many options for smaller budgets as well. Their least expensive option for wedding invitations starts at only $145 for 100 invitations. They also carry a great variety of specialty papers for DIY Brides who want to create their own invitations.
2. Poême is about service, not just products. Your stationer is someone who will be with you throughout your planning process and will work with you individually not only on the design aspects but also with questions of etiquette, etc.
3. The staff at Poême is composed of designers, not just salespeople. Each member of their staff has a background and degree in design. Their design skills and artistic eyes will help you to think of new ways to customize catalog invitations or to dream up a completely original custom design.

Poême is located at 3446 Michigan Avenue in Hyde Park Square.

This past weekend, Annie and Nate were married at the Queen City Club in downtown Cincinnati. Below are some iPhone photos from the day… hopefully I’ll be able to post far better pictures courtesy of Michael Bambino at a later date! For now, enjoy their ceremony in progress, a look at the cake by Bonbonerie, and flowers by Summer at Jones the Florist.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I spent a great morning recently with Kristen and Phil of Poême, and have a TON of great information to share. This will be my second of three posts filled with great stationery and invite ideas courtesy of Poême. Currently, Poême offers several alternatives to the traditional guestbooks found at weddings. Here is some detailed information on two of my favorites.

The first option is a combo of a custom table number and a guestbook. Poême will design individual books for each table at your wedding. Each book serves as a table number and a mini guestbook, with six blank pages for your guests to sign. After the wedding, return your books to Poême and they will turn the individual books into a single, hand-bound guestbook and keepsake. Basic table books start at $100 for set-up (includes design and the post-wedding binding process). The individual table books are $10 a piece.

Secondly, their birthday guestbooks allow our guests to record their birthdays as well as a special message for you and your husband. Your guests will sign their name next to their birthdate, and leave a message in the pages following the main page for their birthday month.

Both are fun options for those who are looking for something a little different for their wedding guestbook!

Personal wedding websites are a great way to keep all of your pertinent info in one spot for your guests to easily reference. They are especially helpful for out of town guests, and are a simple step to become slightly more “green” in your wedding planning — you can save many invitation inserts by adding a simple line to your invitation stating “directions, accommodations and other information available at ourweddingwebsite-dot-com“.

Some sites are free and others require a monthly fee. Some allow you to personalize your URL (www.AngelinaandBrad.com as opposed to www.weddingwebsite.com/23432423/angbrad), others don’t. All allow you to customize to a certain level. Most people are familiar with the free websites available on The Knot, but there are many other options, including:

• MyWedding.com
• WeddingWindow
• eWedding
• WeddingWire

When building your wedding website, be sure to include the following information:

1. Event information. The basics about time and location should be listed for both your ceremony and reception. If you would like to add additional information about the rehearsal dinner, a post-wedding brunch, etc., you may do so as well. It may be wise to add a line stating “by invitation only, please”, unless you are in fact inviting every guest to each additional event.
2. Accommodations. List contact information for any hotels at which you’ve blocked rooms for your guests.If you’re providing transportation between the hotel(s) and your wedding, let your guests know so that they don’t have to worry about arranging their own transportation.
3. Bridal Party. Give a little love to your best friends by showcasing them on your site! Or at the very least listing their names.
4. Registry. Most wedding and etiquette experts agree that it’s perfectly acceptable to list your registry information on your website (whereas printing it on your mailed invitations is definitely a don’t). A simple list with links is helpful to your guests.
5. Attractions. Let your out-of-town guests know about any fun spots or favorite restaurants you think they might enjoy while they are in town for your wedding festivities.
6. Photo galleries, RSVP links and a virtual “guestbook” are all add-ons that you can include on your wedding website.

This past Friday I went with my best friend Kate to look for her wedding dress – so fun! The verdict is still out between two different dresses but both are beautiful and I’m sure she’ll pick the perfect one :) The day inspired me to write a quick post about shopping for your wedding dress. For those still looking for a dress or who haven’t started yet, here are a few suggestions to make the most out of your search and your time–

First, look through magazines and online to find styles that you like. When you get to a store (check out more than one, for the best variety and best pricing), try on styles that you’ve pre-chosen as well as some that you weren’t considering. Many times brides will think they are going to love a certain style, but feel completely different after trying it on. So try on several styles to determine which is the most flattering and the most comfortable for you, and from there narrow down to more specific styles and colors (there’s a whole broad range of whites, champagnes and ivories!).

The sales consultants are there to help you find styles you like and also to bring in other styles that you might not have considered. But just because they bring you something doesn’t mean you have to try it on. Be honest if you really dislike something they suggest; you don’t want them to keep bringing you mermaid style dresses if it’s not “you”. Most importantly, be honest and upfront about the price range you want to stay in. They’ll steer you towards styles and designers you can afford and will know of any “off the rack” specials they can offer that will be able to be brought down into your price range. You don’t want to try on something and fall in love with it, only to find out it costs triple what you were hoping to spend!

Don’t waste time on a dress you’re iffy about. If you’re indifferent, take it off and go on to the next one. You’ll know when you’ve found one you love. You’ll want to stay in it, and you’ll keep going back to try it on again after you’ve tried on others. Bonus if your mom cries instantly upon seeing you in it – that’s always a good sign :)

Last but not least, come prepared! Wear a strapless bra and underwear you don’t mind everyone else seeing you in. Some bridal shops have “open” dressing rooms, so be ready for the fact that you may be getting undressed in front of strangers. Bring heels if you want the “full effect” and try on a veil with the dresses that are true contenders – it finalizes the Bride Look. Most importantly, have fun! There are zillions of dresses in all styles, sizes and prices, and Your Perfect Dress is out there.

A note to Kate, I can’t wait to see which dress you choose! And I can’t wait to be your MOH(io). 390 days to go!