• Out of town wedding guests
• Out of town / destination wedding
• Wedding date falls on a holiday weekend
  
• Getting married during the week
  
• Wedding date is 4 months to a year away

Thermography is a printing process where ink is applied to the paper and, while still wet, is dusted with a resin powder.  The paper is then baked, which fuses the ink and powder, giving it a raised effect.  It gives the appearance of engraving, but is a more cost effective alternative.

A prenuptial agreement is a written document between two people who are about to marry. This agreement determines who gets what if the marriage does not last.

Rich or poor, prenuptial agreements protect the assets of both parties in case the marriage is later dissolved. In most cases, people on their second marriage will want to get a prenuptial agreement. It protects assets they have accumulated from the first marriage for their children born of that marriage. In today’s world people are marrying later in life. This means they have been in the work force for many years and have accumulated assets that they do not want to lose. Another factor leading to prenuptial agreements is that they have seen some of their friends get wiped out by divorce.

A prenuptial agreement does not necessarily mean that the couple does not trust each other. The signing of a prenuptial agreement is usually done when marrying for the second time to protect the children from the first marriage.

The legality of a prenuptial agreement depends on the state in which you live. Signing a prenuptial agreement close to the wedding date will usually not be upheld in court. If no lawyer is present or if one lawyer represents both couples, one of the signers can claim that they did not understand the agreement.

If custody of children is included in a prenuptial agreement, a judge will more than likely ignore this clause. The judge will do what is in the best interest of the children.

Signing a prenuptial agreement does not signify that you expect your marriage to end in divorce. It should be viewed as an element of security in case things go bad and your marriage ends in divorce. Having a prenuptial agreement will help you avoid a lot of unpleasantness.

When shopping for your wedding invitations, you will encounter some terms you may not be familiar with. Here are a few things you will need to know to make the right choice for your invitations:

• Announcement-This card announces the marriage to those not invited to attend the ceremony or following a civil ceremony. It is usually printed using the same design, ink color and lettering you select for your invitations. Announcements are normally mailed immediately after the wedding, or upon the couple's return from the honeymoon.
• At Home Cards-A formal and traditional way for newly weds to inform guests and relatives of their new address as a married couple.
• Blind Embossed-A raised design that is pressed directly into the paper without the use of foil or ink
• Bright White-A crisp, pure white for that pristine, wedding-white look.
• Copy-The actual wording you are using for your invitations and enclosure cards.
• Corner Copy-A footnote on the lower right or left hand corner of the invitation, where you can put information about the reception, alternate ceremony, information, etc. Not all invitations can be printed with a corner copy, so make sure to ask before ordering.
• Debossed-The process by which hot metal dies are pressed into paper to create a depressed design on the front of the page and a raised area on the back of the sheet.
• Deckle Edge-An uneven, feathery edge on a piece of paper. This edge is more commonly found on parchment invitations; however, other papers may also have deckle edges.
• Die Cut-The process of using sharp metal rules to cut shapes and designs into paper, this includes cutout shapes and sculpted edges.
• Direction Card-A card enclosed with your invitation that gives directions to the wedding and/or reception. This is a must-have for out of town weddings or if you expect a lot of out of town guests. They can be printed with an actual map or with just the written directions.
• Ecru-Coordinates with an ivory color scheme.
• Embossed-A process of creating a raised, bas relief image on paper. It is accomplished by pressing the paper against a three-dimensional die, creating the raised image.
• Foil Starnp-The process of fusing foil to paper. It is accomplished by pressing a thin layer of foil between the paper and a heated die. The image on the die effectively cuts and heats the foil, binding it permanently to the paper. This is also known as "stamping" or "hot-stamping".
• French-Fold-A sheet of paper that is folded twice to create a four-paneled invitation. Most parchment invitations are French-fold.
• Front Panel Copy-A term we use to indicate that the invitation you have chosen has a place on the front for the bride and groom's names and or a verse.
• Hard Copy-Your wording printed in the font style and size as it will appear on your invitation and accessory cards. Printed in black ink on plain paper, a hard copy can be mailed or faxed.
• Informal Note-A note card that features the bride's name, the bride's monogram or the names of the newly married couple on the front. It is blank inside for your personal handwritten message. It can be used as a thank you note or for short correspondence.

Read Definitions L - Z

• Layered Invitation-An invitation that consists of layers of paper tied or glued together. The top layer is usually made of transparent vellum and the bottom layer is a single panel card. The transparent vellum gives a muted version of the lower layer.
• Lined Envelope-A colored lining on the invitation's inner envelope.
• Middle Panel Copy-It is a term we use to indicate that the invitation you have chosen has a place on the middle panel for the bride and groom's names and or a verse.
• Paragraph Form-An invitation wording style with indented paragraphs and even margins. It is not typically used on invitations with a border. This format is considered less formal.
• Parchment-A transparent paper made to look like original parchment. This distinctive paper adds a softening effect to any invitation.
• Pearl Embossed-A process that applies a luminous pearl-like finish to the embossed part of an invitation.
• Place Card-A small card set at a table place setting designating seating for the reception.
• Proof-A sample of what your order will look like, before it is printed. It allows you to "proofread" the printer's work before it goes to press. Traditionally, this has been accomplished by providing a "hard-copy".
• Reception Card-This is a card enclosed with the invitation that notifies guests of the time and place of your reception.
• Respond Card-The respond card is filled out by the guest and returned so that you will have an accurate count of how many will be attending the ceremony and reception. Before you include this in your invitation it is customary to put return postage on its envelope.
• Respond Envelope Copy-Respond envelope copy is the name and address you want printed on your respond envelopes.
• Return Address on Back Flap of Envelope-Your return address printed on the back flap of the outer invitation envelope
• Save the Date Card-A card sent out 8-12 months before your wedding, letting guests know of your upcoming event. If you plan to have your wedding close to a holiday, or at a destination site, Save The Date Cards wiil be a courtesy to your guests. This will give them plenty of time to make work and travel arrangements.
• Soft White-A rich, creamy vanilla-colored paper that has the look of timeless elegance.
• Thank You Card-A thank you note is handwritten and should mention the gift that was given. This will let them know your appreciation of their thoughtful gift. It can be printed with your name, monogram or Thank You.
• Thermography-The process of creating raised lettering by applying a powder to the freshly laid ink and fusing it to the paper through the application of heat. The ink rests on the paper, it is not pressed into it.
• Tri-Fold-When a sheet of paper is folded twice to create a three-paneled invitation. Both outside panels are folded inward to cover the center panel.
• Vellum-A finish applied to paper in the paper making process. It is a toothy finish, applied to increase the absorption rate of ink. It is generally available in higher quality papers. It has nothing to do with a paper's weight, color or opacity.
• Z-Fold-Created when a sheet of paper is folded twice in accordion fashion to form a three-paneled invitation.

Read Definitions A - I

Basketweave - A piping technique that features interwoven vertical and horizontal lines made to resemble a wicker basket.

Buttercream - A smooth, creamy icing that stays soft. It can be in any color and flavor. Also makes a good filling. As the name suggests, buttercream contains a lot of butter, so it melts easily in heat and humidity.

Cornelli - An elaborate piping technique that yields a lacelike pattern.

Dotted Swiss - A piping technique that forms tiny dots in random patterns that resemble dotted Swiss fabric.

Dragees - Round, edible sugar balls coated with silver or gold coloring and used for decorative purposes.

Fondant - A sweet, elastic icing made of sugar, corn syrup and gelatin, then rolled out and draped over a cake. It makes a nice firm base for gum paste flowers and decorative details. A fondant cake should not be refrigerated.

Ganache - A sweet, rich chocolate that is made of chocolate and heavy cream. It is denser than mousse but less dense than fudge, and can he used as either an icing or filling. It becomes very soft in humid weather.

Genoise - A light and airy sponge cake. Melted, unsalted butter is added to the batter, making it more tender, flavorful and less sweet than a regular sponge cake. This cake is named after its place of origin, Genoa, Italy.

Gum Paste - A mixture of sugar, cornstarch and gelatin. It is used to mold realistic- looking flowers and fruits garnishes for cake. These decorations are edible and will last for several years.

Latticework - A piping technique that uses an open criss-cross pattern.

Marzipan - A paste made of ground almonds, sugar and egg whites. It is used to mold edible flowers and fruit garnishes for cake. It can also be rolled into sheets like Fondant and used as icing.

Pastillage - An icing made of sugar and gum based paste. It is rolled out and used to cover cakes and to mold flowers or sculptures.

Pillars - Used to separate the layers of a tiered cake. They can be made of plastic or wood in several heights to achieve the desired look.

Piping - Decorative details created using a pastry bag and various metal tips. Piping details including basket-weave and lattice patterns, borders, flowers, leaves, dots, etc.

Pulled Sugar - A technique in which boiled sugar is manipulated and pulled to produce flowers, bows and other sculpture pieces.

Royal Icing - A mixture of egg whites and confectioners sugar. It is an icing that begins as a soft paste and can be piped from a pastry bag to create garnishments on a cake. When it dries, its texture is hard and brittle. Refrigeration is not recommended.

Torte - A dense cake that does not use leavening agents (baking powder or baking soda).

Whipped Cream - A heavy cream that is beaten to achieve a thick consistency. This is not recommended as an icing because it melts easily in warm temperatures

A groom is the guy, the second most important person in the wedding, and the love of the bride’s life. If you can bring yourself to terms with being these three things before and during your wedding, your big day as well as the rest of your marriage will go a lot smoother.

You

Be there for your bride to be. While in most cases, the groom’s involvement in the wedding planning will be limited, from time to time every bride is going to need help dealing with the pressures of the process. Be her shoulder to cry on if she needs one. Stress levels will be high for both of you as the planning takes shape, so be understanding of that. She might become irritable as the stress mounts, so be there to allow her to vent her frustrations. Offer to perform some of the endless tasks she has on her list to alleviate some of the pressure. Sitting back doing nothing while she does all the work will not help your bride’s stress level. It will probably make it worse. Offer to help plan the wedding. Keep in mind that most brides have been planning their big day for years, so realize that she might already know exactly what she wants and how she wants it done. Even if you end up not helping, at least you offered. Let her know your opinions on the planning. If you really don’t agree with something she has planned, try asking her why she chose that particular item. The flowered head dresses she wants you both to wear might be a long-running family tradition. Better to ask the question than to just tell her how dumb you think you’re going to look in them and upset her when she’s already stressed out enough.

The Second Most Important Person in the Wedding

This one should be pretty self-explanatory. Your bride has dreamed of her wedding day since she started playing with Bridal Barbie when she was five. Most guys don’t start thinking of their wedding day until they’re actually engaged. While this does vary, remember that your bride-to-be will be the most beautiful bride in the history of the marital process. She’s the one that will walk down the aisle while everyone stands and watches, she’ll be the one to throw the bouquet to all her jealous friends, and she’ll be the one that glows the entire day. If everyone else is going to treat her like a queen on her wedding day, why should you be any different? You should be her biggest fan. Lay your pride aside and let her be the most important person in your world and everyone else’s on your wedding day.

Love of the Bride’s Life

The woman you are marrying is pledging the rest of her life to you. She deserves to be cherished, pampered, and loved with all you have. That beautiful person that you are going to be waking up next to for the rest of your life is a gift. Marriage vows do not lessen her worth, they make her that much more valuable. You worked awfully hard during the dating, engagement, and planning process to make her feel like your whole world. Why stop now? Remind her each and every day how extremely happy you are to be her friend and husband.