Your Guide To The Wedding Planning Timeline

Counting Down to The Big Day

Your wedding; a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to share the joy of your nuptials with your closest family and friends, live out the storybook fantasies of your childhood, and throw a fabulous party! If you are like most brides (and grooms!), then chances are you have been envisioning your walk down the aisle your entire life. You’ve imagined the cake, the flowers, the music, and the gown.  But what’s one rather significant—and often times stressful—aspect of wedding planning that can leave even the most coordinated brides scrambling? …

The Wedding Planning Timeline.

 

From booking your venue to mailing your Save The Dates, coordinating numerous details across multiple vendor channels all while adhering to conventional timeline etiquette can be a real head scratcher. Avoid last minute panic and unveil the mystery of what to do when with this handy-dandy timeline:

12 months prior:

•  Plan your engagement party.
• Draft your guest list.
•  Book your venues.
• Set your budget.

One year before your big day, you should already be laying the foundation for your dream wedding. Now is the time to have the all-important money discussion and really draw the line between wedding fantasies and budget realities!  Might I suggest using this Wedding Cost Estimator  (courtesy of the helpful folks at TheWeddingReport.com) to help you begin planning your budget.

• 8-10 months prior:
• Get engagement photos.
•  Choose the officiant.
• Secure your vendors. 
•  Schedule cake tasting and order your cake.
• Select your wedding party.
• Block hotel rooms.
• Book wedding day transportation.
• Register for gifts.
• Choose the gown!

Researching and sifting through a bevy of local vendors can be daunting to say the least. Access all of your options in one place by using a Local Vendor Search Tool like this one by TheKnot.com. 

6 months prior:

•  Finalize the guest list.
•   Send Save The Dates.
• Choose bridal party attire.
• Plan the honeymoon.
• Order invitations.
• Purchase wedding bands.

Your Save The Date is your guests’ very first impression of your upcoming wedding…so make it unforgettable! Might I suggest a fun and unique Custom Scratch Off Wedding Save The Date?

4 months prior:

• Confirm venues & vendors.
• Plan the rehearsal dinner.
• Finalize hair and make-up plans.
•  Choose the reception menu.
•  Order wedding favors/ bridal party gifts.

At four months prior, all wedding plans and decisions should be finalized. Avoid last minute panic by making plans early and sticking to them! 

2 months prior:

• Mail invitations.
• Write wedding vows.
• Purchase wedding day accessories.
•  Confirm day of transportation.
•  Create a shot list for your photographer.
•   Create a song list for your DJ or band.

Communicating your wishes to your photographer in advance is crucial to ensuring that you capture all of the most treasured moments of your big day. In addition to a standard shot list, consider creating a Pinterest board of all your favorite wedding photography and providing a link to your photographer as inspiration.

4-6 weeks prior:

• Get marriage license.
• Make final vendor payments.
• Send rehearsal dinner invites.
• Follow-up with RSVP’s.
• Final dress fitting.
• Bridal Shower and Bachelor/ Bachelorette parties. 
• Begin seating chart.

Leave no stone unturned! All of your wedding details (from food to decor) should be firmed up at least one month prior to your big day.

1-2 weeks prior:

• Pick up your gown.
• Finalize head count & seating chart.
• Break in your shoes (this is a big one!).
• Pack for your honeymoon.
• Get a facial/waxing.

One to two weeks in advance you should be putting the finishing touches on your wedding day plans. You’re in the planning home stretch and now comes the really fun part…

48 hours prior:

• Get a manicure & pedicure.
• Wrap bridesmaid and groomsman gifts.
• Pick up tux.

24 hours prior:

• Attend rehearsal dinner.
• Give bridesmaid & groomsman gifts.

Wedding Day:

• Get Married…
• Live Happily Ever After!

Of course, every bride will have her own preferences and unique agenda, but I hope this can at least get you started with a clear idea of what to expect from the conventional wedding planning timeline.

From all of us here at My Scratch Offs…Happy Planning!

2014: A Sorta Renaissance

Hello, ladies and gents!

Allow myself to introduce…myself. I am Brianna and I am the new “girl behind the blog” (save for the occasional peppering of a guest contributor or two!). I’m thrilled about the opportunity to get you up to speed on the recent exciting changes at My Scratch Offs, LLC (notice we’ve dropped the “Labels” from our name), as well as share all of my “expert” scratch off product knowledge that I have cultivated over my two years with the company. 

The utter versatility of our scratch off labels is just part of what makes our products so useful and fun. The possibilities are endless, with applications from business promotions to bridal shower games to gender reveals, and I’m gonna blog all about it!

Since its conception six years ago, My Scratch Offs, LLC has evolved from a home-based business operated solely by our fearless leader, Karen, into a multi-member team and scratch off industry leader.  Today we are selling our progressive line of products out of our brick-and-mortar store and across multiple web-sales channels including:  Amazon, Etsy & eBay. Not too shabby for a veteran, full-time military spouse and mother of two!  

So what are some of these exciting changes you may ask? Over the course of 2014, we have changed our logo and re-branded to become My Scratch Offs (formerly My Scratch Off Labels, LLC), relocated into a new (and much larger!) production and retail facility, and undergone a complete web redesign…all while increasing our retail offerings by nearly 20%! 2014 has been one heckuva year and it’s not over yet.  We are constantly developing new and exciting designs and introducing new products and services.

I’m genuinely excited by the opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas with you! But before I dive right into the good stuff: a little bit about me.  I was born on the cusp of Capricorn and Aquarius (which makes me particularly unassuming yet ambitious…or so they say) and I have a particular knack for diplomacy, “from scratch” cooking and making lists. I’m a full-time step mommy and a part-time rock star. I’m also MSO’s customer service and social media guru. I love to be creative. I love sunshine, coffee and my job! I love coming to work every day and I’m very much looking forward to sharing some of my daily excitement with you.

Intrigued? Good!  Now stay tuned, next week: bridal inspiration.

Year End Celebration ~ Scratch Off Giveaway

2011 has been a record breaking year for MyScratchOffLabels.com. There are so many factors that play into the success of our small business: the quality and affordability of our product, its versatility, customer satisfaction, but most importantly our CUSTOMERS. Thank you for your continued support and your willingness to tell others about us.
We are ending the year in CELEBRATION of things past and great things to come!
Please join us as we strive towards 1000 likes on Facebook and $25 in product giveaways.

Businesses we love!

As an online business who operates without a physical storefront, we’re well aware of just how vital it is to get your business’s name out into the public eye. Throughout the years, we’ve been extremely lucky to have received help from some amazing people out there, and have since gained over 6,000 followers on Twitter and over 700 fans on Facebook. Now, we’d like to return the favor and spread the word about some of our favorite businesses out there at the moment! Be sure to check out our friends and add them on Twitter and Facebook.

Mrs. Why Knot (http://mrswhyknot.blogspot.com/) – Mrs. Why Knot has been kind enough to feature us a few different times over the course of the past couple of months! A brilliant and inspiring wedding blog, Mrs. Why Knot helps keeps bride up to date on some of the latest trends and hottest vendors to keep their wedding at the forefront of style.

Jennifer Lynn Events (http://www.jenniferlynnevents.com/) – Located in Simsbury, CT, Jennifer Lynn Events may be one of our newest friends, but the inspiring details they showcase—such as a mouthwateringly gorgeous dessert/candy table and seating cards folded to look like real seats—prove that they are more than able to follow through on their promise to provide unique touches to your event that your guests will always remember.

Orchid Weddings (http://www.orchid-weddings.co.uk/) –Looking for a wedding planner in the UK? Orchid Weddings, located in Kent, London and the South East of England helps relieve all the stress of planning of a wedding! Sit back and relax, as Orchid Weddings takes care of even the smallest details in your wedding, right down to the Mother of the Groom Dress Search!

Jen’s Closet (http://www.etsy.com/shop/jenscloset) – On the lookout for that perfect vintage knick knack to add that certain panache to a room? Jen’s Closet boasts an enormous variety of household goods sure from Vintage Linens to Crystal Dinnerware. She’s also got a wide variety of items on sale for $15 and under for those bargain hunters out there!

Mommy of 3 Peas (http://mommyof3peas.com/) –Are you looking for a way to get your name out there in the world of social media? Not quite sure where to begin? Mommy of 3 Peas provides a perfect way for you to begin promoting your business! By linking small businesses to one another, Mommy of 3 Peas allows businesses to quickly make connections with the sort of people they need to keep their business thriving.

Are there any businesses you can think of that we should’ve included on this list? Let us know on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/myscratchofflabels!

New fun ways to use our labels!

One of the best aspects of our scratch-off labels is the complete versatility they give our customers. Are you looking for a fun way to incorporate a new idea into your wedding? Why not try one of our Wedding or Bridal Shower game card packs? Looking for a new way to let people know about your business? We have that covered too, with our customizable business promotional cards. We can help you design the product, or you can design it on your own—because we sell the labels themselves separately, you, as the customer, have complete control over the final product.

But what if you’re stuck about just how to use our Scratch Off labels? I’ve spoken with many people who find the labels intriguing but can’t seem to come up with a use of their own for them. Well, today, we’re going to go over some unique ways we’ve seen people use our labels over the years, as well as offer up a few new suggestions that may catch your eye! Curious about the man who proposed with our product? Looking for a way to spice up your next barbeque? Then you’re in the right place.

When dropping off orders at the post office, one of the mail clerks stopped me and asked me what the most interesting use of our labels has been. Without doubt, the most exciting one in recent memory is that of Reuben, the graphic designer who created his own design to match that of a local restaurant’s frequently visited by him and his girlfriend. While at first glance, the card appears to be just another coupon-style saver, you scratch to reveal the prize—a husband of your very own, who will promise to love you, adore you, and care for you. Did she say yes? The verdict is still out, but we’ve got a good feeling about this one.

Who out there is a teacher or happens to know a teacher always in the market for a fun new way to interact with kids in the classroom? Why not make a scratch-off chores list for school? Keep the children’s names on a chart with a replaceable card with that week’s responsibility hidden by a scratch-off label. Then, have each child unpin their task for the week and discover what their job is! Imagine the way the line-leader’s face will light up after uncovering that information. Even passing out papers doesn’t seem so bad if you get to play that sort of game to discover your job.

What about you party-planners out there looking for a new way to entertain your guests? The next time you make a batch of cupcakes, why not make a scratch-off cake-topper to go with them? Have one or two cupcakes be the special winners. It’s a guaranteed way to keep your guests coming back for more dessert. Even if a guest does receive a sorry cake-topper, with a cupcake in hand, everyone walks away a winner.

A slightly more devious use for our labels—why not use them to prank your friends? Has someone around the office been playing tricks or causing trouble on you? Design a standard looking business card and have what’s under the label blow their mind. We won’t offer too many other suggestions on this one. That sort of trickery is all up to you.

We’ve offered up a few suggestions for new ways to use our scratch off labels. Have any more in mind? Send your ideas to tara@myscratchofflabels.com and we’ll feature them on the next issue of our newsletter!