Aaahhh, summer is here, and in an attempt to sit back and enjoy summer, I am introducing Throwback Thursday, which is a collection of oldies but goodies that need to be revisited since Hill City Bride’s humble beginnings. I use Paperless Post a TON, and I also hope that you find it useful, too!

A while ago I received an invitation … a beautiful invitation, in fact. It was professionally printed, came in a lined envelope and levitated itself out of the envelope once it was opened. Sound crazy? Well, once you check out Paperless Post, you will become a believer, too … especially because you get to test it out for FREE just for being a Hill City Bride reader!!

Today’s bride wants to do things a step above and creatively, too, so I am pleased to introduce you to the new wave of invitations that end up in the inbox instead of the mailbox. Before you formulate your opinion, you simply must see them! Other online companies have offered e-mailable invitations, yet these are definitely the “upscale” version of the traditional online announcement. I am excited to share them with you and how simple the process is.

Here goes …

First go to the Paperless Post website and choose your type of card that you want to send. You can send a batch of cards as announcements, invitations or save the dates, or you can send cards singly for birthdays and other occasions.

Once you have chosen your design, you will be able to customize it. I love how this looks like “save the date” was engraved on the invitation!! Some of the cards let you choose the color motif.

If the invitation has an image, you can choose the image, its placement and its color. Amazing!!

Yay! You have the option of preset wording (whew!), or you can come up with your own. You can also customize the font style, font size and even its color. Isn’t this great?!?!?! This is probably the most time consuming part … decisions, decisions.

Once you decide on the final look for your invitation, you can choose an envelope (or not … they also offer “casual” invitations without the envelope). In my opinion, half of the fun is receiving the invitation, seeing the envelope open and have the card slide out for you all on your computer screen … I would definitely not skip the envelope, but that is just me.

There is an easy system of creating a guest list, and once the e-mails go out, the responses roll in. Guests can RSVP and add comments if they would like, and the site keeps track of it all for you. So simple! You can also send reminders to your guests and update them without using additional “stamps” from your account. What are stamps? See below, and you will receive stamps just for being a HCB reader … lucky you!!

Paperless Post has their own currency in the form of “stamps” that you purchase. My most recent purchase was for 150 stamps for $10.00, which would be $66.00 if you actually mailed invitations (not to mention the cost of the paper invitations themselves). So for a small price, you have custom invitations. I do have to say that I was impressed when I received my first Paperless Post!! Custom coins on Paperless Post can be used to upgrade things like envelope liners, and businesses can even add their logos to their cards … wouldn’t that wow someone?

Again, a VERY special thank you goes out to Paperless Post for letting me feature them, AND for offering 35 free stamps to the readership of Hill City Bride. Just click here to go straight to Paperless Post. Whether you need save the dates, are hosting a bridal shower or just want to send some birthday cards, be sure to put your free stamps to good use. Oh, and I would love it if you would comment on this post letting me know how you used your free stamps.

I also want to give a shoutout to the sweet ladies at Paperless Post … thank you Aya and Jill for helping me put this together. I wish Paperless Post much success in the future, and I know it is a service that I will be using for a long time.

Many thanks once again to Rachel McLean of RS Exclusive for contributing this month. What an exciting phase of life … engagement! Have fun reading this special treat today complete with photos of the work of RS.

No, this isn’t a tribute post to Cindy Lauper, although I do think she is pretty fantastic. Rather, this is a nod of sincere acknowledgement, respect, and most importantly, an offer of assistance, for those of you men preparing to make one of the biggest and best decisions in your life: asking the love of your life for her hand in marriage.

We all know the familiar story: Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl plan the wedding of their dreams, say, “I do,” and then together, begin their “happily ever after.”

However, before there can be a wedding, there must first be a proposal – or so the story goes for most couples. And before there can be a proposal, there must be a man, crazy in love, eager enough to sell his car, motorcycle, guitar, or extra kidney if need be (okay, don’t sell your kidney, you may actually need that someday) to purchase the perfect ring and proclaim his undying love and devotion — in a spectacular setting — to the one whom he hopes will say “yes!” and become his future bride. (Whew, deep breath.)

While much ado is made over the bride-to-be as she prepares for her wedding day, often little attention or recognition is given to the valiant effort and fortitude shown by the hopeful, future groom-to-be, during the months and weeks leading up to the proposal.

Lets face it ladies, when it comes to the big day before the big wedding day, we have high expectations, and many of us have dreamed about what the moment should be like for years. We may say that “love is all that matters,” and while we know it does, deep down, we want (and hope) to be taken to the moon and back; to have a romantic moment of Jane Austin proportions; an off-the-charts, unique, and perfect engagement we simply cannot wait to share with our girlfriends and family members.

Given this knowledge, to say there is a little bit of pressure placed on you men to perform is an understatement.

We at RS Exclusive realize a lot of blood, sweat, and yes, sometimes even tears, go into this process. We understand how nerve-wracking the days leading up to the big moment can be, let alone how overwhelming it can be to choose the perfect setting for the day, fill it with a day or evening of romantic gestures, and then pour your heart out while on one knee.

Here’s some good news: you don’t have to go it alone. On the contrary, giving your future bride the proposal of her dreams is within reach, and you don’t have to have the budget of The Bachelor – or be a creative genius – to pull it off.

RS Exclusive offers a “perfect proposal” packages to love-struck men of all ages who need – or just want – advice, direction, and the experienced know-how to add a polished touch to their plans and take the stress out of the planning.

Whether you’re looking for full-service, conception-through-execution assistance, or simply help fine-tuning and laying the final touches, event planners have the expertise and personal and professional connections to stretch your hard-earned money and give you the most sparkle for your buck.

The big day is yours, and should reflect everything that is special about your love and what makes you unique as a couple. We’ll help you take the stress out of planning and allow you to focus on what really matters: sweeping the woman of your dreams off of her feet, and together enjoying a perfect moment that you will cherish for the rest of your lives.

Here’s to you, our knights in shining armor. Without you we wouldn’t get to spend hours browsing through bridal magazines and trying on wedding gowns. You are our heroes, and we think you deserve a helping hand in making our dreams come true.

Each of these photos was taken during an actual surprise proposal that RS Exclusive arranged. Congratulations to Brian and Lauren on their engagement! The location was the Oakwood Country Club, where sparks first started between these two, and the engagement took place on their one year anniversary of dating. Photographs are courtesy of Sally Hahn.

Below are photos of the vineyard engagement of Chris and Rachel (yes, the Rachel who writes “Ask the Exclusive”!).

Below are photos from the rooftop engagement of Adam and Katie, which was also set up by RS Exclusive.

Guys, if you are considering a proposal, having help takes the pressure off, and it can be a lot of fun!

The Hill City Bride advertisers are SUCH a fun group, and I want you to know more about them (ok, this was also my sneaky way of finding out more about them myself, too!). They are a great group of people, and I really feel like we have a Hill City Bride family … I love it!

The concept behind “10 in 10″ is to answer all 10 questions within 10 minutes using 10 words or less. Enjoy getting to know a little bit more about Jeremiah Guelzo, owner of Stone Blue Productions … a super talented photo, video and design company (who did a great job with my logo and website by the way!!).

Here is his bio in his own words: I started my company, Stone Blue Productions, about ten years ago purely out of the love of the arts and my interest in photography, video and design. I love the variety of work and being able to work with so many great clients.

10 in 10 by Jeremiah Guelzo

What is the one thing you miss about being a kid? The lack of responsibility.

Do you have any phobias? Spiders and walking into webs.

If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? Bond, James Bond.

Cats or dogs? Oh cats … they are way more fun. They are so funny.

Name one thing on your “bucket list”. A KFC ten piece bucket.

If you were to perform in the circus, what would you do? The flying cannonball.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Mint Chocolate.

How many pairs of shoes do you own? 8

Facebook or Twitter? Yes, you must choose. Facebook, because it is more social.

What would be the title of your autobiography? You Only Live Once

And yet another image b/c I adore photos of creativity in action…

Suzanne Jennings of BeautiControl will be able to pamper a bride and allow her outward appearance to be “top notch” for the wedding day. BeautiControl is a company based in Texas and has been in the beauty supply business for 30 years, which specializes in skin care, spa products, and makeup.

Suzanne became a consultant in 2004 after attending a BeautiControl party and was able to experience their products and fell completely in love. She shared that it came into her life at just the right time.

Now Suzanne Jennings can offer a variety of things for the bride in preparation for her special day. If you are worried about your problem skin looking its best on your wedding day, Suzanne can handle it with a skin analysis that will then determine what product(s) will give you great skin before your wedding.

Suzanne has found that brides simply want to be pampered because of the “long, tedious process of planning.” She offers ‘Bridal Shower Spas’… now doesn’t that sound fun? I would love to have a Bridal Shower Spa as they are a wonderful way to pamper the bride and her bridal party. The bride will receive all the special gifts that a hostess would normally receive including a special heated neck wrap to help away neck and shoulder tension. All attendees will get to experience BeautiControl‘s great spa treatments and be able to relax just like the bride! Then. to end the event, the bride has an option to have a mini makeover to top off all of the pampering.

The best part about the shower is that no one needs to bring a gift. The guests will be given a list of items from the BeautiControl catalog that the bride has selected in advance and they can purchase as they wish. Suzanne does all the ordering and packaging and even the delivering to the bride!

Suzanne likes to sit down with each bride before the big day and figure out her preferred look for the most important day of their life. Suzanne’s wedding package includes the bride, maid of honor, and mother of the bride for only $100 (which includes a small gift for the bride). She can add the mother of the groom for an additional $25. Any additional attendants are $20 each… what a wonderful way to ensure that everyone looks their best for the wedding!

The great thing about Suzanne is that she stays until after the ceremony to make sure all the girls look their best for wedding photographs. Doesn’t Suzanne sound like she would be beneficial to your wedding planning experience? Be sure to check out her website: www.beautipage.com/bcsuz

Age is just a number, but with BeautiControl it can be a secret!

Aaahhh, summer is here, and in an attempt to sit back and enjoy summer, I am introducing Throwback Thursday, which is a collection of oldies but goodies that need to be revisited since Hill City Bride’s humble beginnings…

I love Twitter. Ok, I did not used to love Twitter, but I am finding it to be the absolute best resource for finding and “meeting” amazing people that know about all things wedding. One such person is Alicia McDonald, who has the blog entitled “The Charity Wedding“, and she is a bride to be herself as she is getting married on October 15th!

The title of her blog and her posts on both her blog and Twitter really spurned my thoughts about turning a wedding into an event to benefit others … what a wonderful idea! I asked Alicia if she would do a guest posting for me, which she graciously accepted even though I know that she is in the thick of things with her wedding being less than a month away!

Thank you so much, Alicia, for your heart for others and for sharing your thoughts with the readers of Hill City Bride.

How to Have a Charity Wedding

When I began planning my wedding, I ran into two major hurdles that transformed the way I thought about the whole process. The first dilemma: Cost. I probably don’t have to tell you that our economy is in a little slump right now. Families and businesses are struggling to stay afloat by counting pennies and downsizing galore.

What you might not know is the average cost of a wedding still hovers around $20,000 (even higher in major urban areas) with no major decline what so ever. Turns out when it comes to weddings, people are still spending big Benjamins. I know we all know that is a lot of money but just for laughs let’s break that down in to real world cash.  According to the Department of Labor, a family of four will spend about $5,300 on groceries per year. So essentially an average wedding could feed a family of four for just about four years.

The thought of a wedding budget extending for four years brings me to my second dilemma: All the money goes towards one day. You spend months planning, you lose sleep, you get majorly stressed and you spend debt inducing money all for a few hours of partying.

Somewhere along the way a wedding went from being a day to start a new life together to a day to see who could throw the best party. This is not to say that I do not understand or appreciate the importance of a wedding and all the associated festivities. I just thought there had to be another way. My solution: Make an effort to make the wedding about more than just us by giving back to people who really need it instead. To do this, we would give part of our budget to charity and we would raise both money and awareness for various organizations and charities all in an effort to get other couples to think about their weddings differently.

Sure we could have just not had a wedding at all and donated our entire budget to charity. However a wedding is a great opportunity to expose all of your family and friends to your efforts and spread the good.  Giving is contagious and inevitably you will make a greater impact if you can involve more people. While not everyone could structure their wedding as we have, there are several great options that make it possible for every couple to incorporate a little charity into their big day:

• Vendor Selection: Check with your vendors and see if they support any charities or are active in the community. Essentially, by paying them, you are helping give back to what they put their resources into. Some vendors may even specifically designate a percentage of their sales to charity. If anything, you may inspire them to give back just by asking.

• Research What You are Buying: Companies like One Hope Wine automatically donate a portion of their sales to charity. You planned to buy wine anyway, why not support a company who supports others.
• Registries: There are two great options here, either ask for charity donations in lieu of gifts all together or offer it as an option. You can also register through a charity registry like I Do Foundation who has a partnership with various stores like Target. If you register on Target as you normally would and guests purchase gifts online through the I Do Foundation, Target will donate a percentage of what is bought to charity. There are no additional costs for your guests and you still get a kitchen full of supplies. Win, Win.

• In addition I Do Foundation offers a partnership with a stationary company and even honeymoon travel. When you order or book through them, they again will donate part of that to charity at no cost to you.
• Attire: Organizations like Brides Against Breast Cancer offer charity gown sales where people donate their wedding dresses and then they are cleaned and sold. Brides get a major discount on a barely used dress and all the proceeds go to fund breast cancer research. In addition many Etsy shops that sell jewelry and accessories donate portions of their sales to charity. You can even find charity shoes for the men offered through Converse and Tom’s Shoes.

• Favors and gifts: 9 times out of 10, favors are junk that no one wants. You get them as part of obligation and if people even remember them, they likely end up in a junk drawer somewhere. Instead you could tell guests that you made a donation to charity in their name instead. No one will miss the little box of candy, trust me. You could do something similar for your attendant’s gifts or purchase gifts that support a cause, like from World of Good, which is a shop with handmade gifts from all over the world. Both the production of the products and the sale helps bring employment and dignity to developing countries.

• Clean Up: After the wedding is over many places accept donations of leftover food and even the flowers. Call hospitals and nursing homes and offer to drop off the flowers to their patients. They would be delighted to receive them and they will get an extended life.

• Trim the Fat: Downgrade your flowers, make a few things yourself, eliminate that extra dessert… in the end no one will notice, including you. Little efforts to cut back can make a big impact on a non-profit organization. Make an effort to cut your budget by just 5% and donate that to your favorite charity. People will be much more impressed by your thoughtfulness than by the personalized wine glasses you had to have. In addition, it can be a tax write off which might mean a lot to your parents who are footing the bill!

The best part of all this is that your wedding will continue to make an impact on the lives of others long after the day is over. In addition, you will feel really good about it instead of having major buyer’s remorse once the credit card bill rolls in.  Just a slight change in perspective can change lives and make your wedding day even more special.

Thank you again, Alicia … I really appreciate you taking the time to impart your wisdom to the HCB readers!! If you want to read some more of Alicia’s work (and to see some really cute ideas!!) go on over to her blog.