Who's name to put first on the wedding invitation? The bride or groom?

Who's name goes first?

You've been working on the wedding invitations and your soon-to-be husband sees the bride's name first. He exclaims- "Wait! I want my name first".

Well, I'll start by saying it's 2013 and you can put the names in any order that suits the two of you. Every couple is different, and you should do what is comfortable for both of you.

Traditionally the bride's name goes first. A long time ago, in a pre-millennial age, the bride's family was the host and would word it "Mr. and Mrs. O'Connoly invite you to celebrate the marriage of their daughter Anne O'Connolly to ..... Michael Shannon.... son of...." so this started the tradition of the Bride's name first.

So if you find yourself to be more traditional and want to be classic, put the bride's name first. If your wedding invitations are more modern, you're a modern couple and it's really important to the groom that his name is first, go for it. The only wedding invitation etiquette police that will be at your wedding might be your grandparents.

Free Love Quotes

I've made some of my favorite Love Quotes into images for everyone to share online.

A guide to buying your wedding items on Etsy!

Etsy has so many amazing hand-made wonders that can make your wedding a unique event. However, take a turn on some wedding planning blogs and you'll quickly see comments from a few bride and grooms who've had bad experiences. Here are a few tips to help you navigate Etsy.

1) Remember Etsy does not select who can sell on their site and who can't. Anyone can sign up and with 20 cents per listing open up a store. So when you find a store you love, check them out. Google the store name and the owner's name and look up their online presence. Are there lots of blogs mentioning this store and problems? You might want to use caution.

2) Look where the store is located. There are Etsy sellers from all over the world! It's a wonderful global community. Be aware of sellers from China. Many factories in China will open up an Etsy store and sell their "handmade" goods there. Also note, completely wonderful sellers may reside in countries outside of yours, so add on extra for international shipping times and costs.

3) Read the reviews both on Etsy and Google to find reviews elsewhere. Know who you're buying from.

4) Ask about the turn around time BEFORE ordering. Many of the hand made wedding items are custom made when ordered. If you are ordering from a more popular store it may be 6-8 weeks before your product arrives. A good seller will make their timelines very clear.

5) Ask lost of questions. Convo the seller and ask questions about the product. They should respond within 1 business day. Beware any seller that takes 3-4 business days to respond.

6) Read the listing description thoroughly and read their shop policies as well.

I also belong to a hand-picked group of Etsy sellers that specialize in wedding items. 

"THE ETSY WEDDING TEAM" check them out here

Etsy is a fantastic place and most of the sellers are honest artists that are happy to do business with you. You can find items on there that are unique and one of a kind.