Planning a wedding is the start to planning a marriage, and in many cases is the start to planning a home together. While of course no one is obligated to bring a gift to your wedding, many will, for the very purpose of filling your newly shared (or long shared, but now “married”) home. This is where your wedding gift registry comes in: it is a helpful way to let your guests know your gift preferences, and to help you avoid receiving unwanted gifts. What seems like fun – picking out your own gifts! – often is, but can also quickly turn frustrating or confusing. Here are a few answers on frequently-asked registry questions.

1. When should I set up my wedding registry?

As early as you would like, but no later than 4-6 months prior to your wedding. Many guests will use your registry as a guide when shopping not only for your wedding gift, but for shower gifts as well.

2. How many registries should I have?

It’s often recommended to register at 2 to 3 stores to give your guests a variety of options to choose from. Keep in mind that guests from out-of-town might not have the same stores nearby that you do; in those cases choosing stores with online registries is very helpful.

3. What should I register for?

Start by sitting down with your fiance to make a list of things you need for your home. Browse websites or catalogs of stores for ideas before starting your initial list. Many stores will also provide you with a checklist of recommendations for your registry – skim through them to see which suggested items apply to you and your lifestyle. When you register, choose items at a variety of price points, and more items than you think you need.

4. How do I let people know about my registry?

First and foremost, not on your wedding invitation, and not with the inserts that some stores will give you. Sending registry information with your wedding invitation conveys an obligation to bring a present, which is not the case. It is however acceptable to list registry information on a wedding website, and it is also acceptable to list your wedding website on your invitation (e.g. “More information and details available at www.ourfabulouswedding.com”). Also, registry information on shower invitations is appropriate, as the whole point of a shower is to “shower” the bride and groom with gifts.

Check back tomorrow to learn how to support local small businesses in Cincinnati with your wedding registry! And to “register” for a chance to win a free engagement present from Aviva Events, check out our engagement story blog contest.

Your facebook News Feed has probably made it very clear that Engagement Season is in full-swing! Thanksgiving through Valentine’s Day is quite the busy time of year for proposals, so you may, like me, be currently busy congratulating friends right and left. Or perhaps you have your very own engagement to celebrate! Either way, this time of year definitely sees a spike in proposals and a jump-start on wedding plans. So now, a few bits of advice for the newly-engaged, (and below the advice a fun contest!):

1. Enjoy it! As soon as the ring is on your finger, the questions will start: “Have you set a date?” “Who is in the bridal party?” “Where are you having the reception?”. Feel free to ignore them all, and just ENJOY your engagement for a while (however long is up to you) before you go full-fledged into planning. There will be plenty of time to worry about the details later.

2. Once you’ve had some time to savor your new status as a Fiancée, take a deep breath and start at the beginning. Sit down with your fiance and chat about the following things: 1. The approximate number of guests you’d like to invite, 2. The approximate overall budget you’d like to stick to, and 3. The style you’re envisioning for your wedding day. Those three factors will guide all of your other decisions, so it’s important to talk about them early on (especially #2!).

3. Consider hiring a wedding planner. OK, so this is a bit of a plug, but if you are thinking of hiring a planner even for just “day of” services (often referred to as “DOC”), you may want to hire them earlier rather than later. Some planners will include complimentary advice via email throughout your planning, even if you only hire them for a limited service. Whether it’s day-of, full-service, or a custom in-between plan, having an outside opinion can be incredibly helpful and calming as you go about making all of your decisions!

Share your engagement story in the comments below – on Friday morning (1/8, 10am EST), we’ll pick a comment at random to win a special Engagement Present from the crew at Aviva Events :) And keep checking in on the blog for more wedding and event planning tips and tricks… we have a whole slew of info to share this year, and we’re still recapping last year’s weddings for even more lovely inspiration photos.

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.

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.