Hosting Wedding Parties (Hardcover)

Book Description
From showers to receptions to bridal teas, you'll find everything you need to toast the happy couple in style. HOSTING WEDDING PARTIES offers the inspiration and the how-to instructions for planning and hosting unique wedding-related theme parties that will be remembered for years to come. Each party is beautifully photographed to show every detail, from handcrafted invitations to exquisite centerpieces to thoughtful and unique party favors. Decorations and specially crafted accents are explained in step-by-step instructions, yet all party elements are easy and affordable! Also included are complete party menus with easy but delicious recipes, along with suggested table settings and beverages. A special section on entertaining help includes etiquette tips, floral arranging ideas, and more. Whether you're the maid of honor, the mother of the groom, or the bride herself, this book has the details you need to plan the perfect party.

Just look what makes this book a must for your collection:

** Covers a wide range of parties, not just showers! Includes parties for rehearsals, engagements, and receptions.

** Perfect for anyone involved in a wedding - the maid of honor, mother, father, grandparent, bridesmaid, groomsman, uncle, or aunt.

** Contains complete menus and recipes for each party.

** Features easy and affordable party plans that don't require weeks of preparation.

** Includes a special section on etiquette tips, floral-arranging ideas, table setting, and more.

** It's the best book you'll find on the subject. Most "shower" books are one color, and don't have recipes. This one is full of full-color photos that help you make your wedding party a smash.

The Perfect Wedding Reception : Stylish Ideas For Every Season (Hardcover)

Book Description

Once couples decide to say "I do" there are dozens and dozens of decisions to be made. It's hard to know where to begin and even more difficult to fit all the dozens of details together into one wonderful event. Thankfully Maria McBride-Mellinger, author of acclaimed bridal books, stylishly illustrates just how to create a dreamy reception that will be forever memorable.

The Perfect Wedding Reception features exquisite wedding celebrations designed by Maria McBride-Mellinger that capture the magic of each season in refreshing, contemporary style. The nuptial adventure begins in a formal spring garden but soon its off to a beach front for a fanciful summer wedding, to a revolutionary era stone barn for a rustic fall wedding and finally to a gracious country home for a candle lit winter wedding feast.

Glorious photos of each location, flowers, menu selections, table details, centerpieces, bouquets, invitations, wedding cakes and favors tell the story of each wedding with helpful tips and most importantly McBride-Mellinger's favorite resources from around the country that will actually help bring your wedding reception to life.

Whatever season you choose to marry Maria McBride-Mellinger offers delightful flourishes to tempt every couple as they plan the party of their lives and create memories meant to last a lifetime.

About the Author
Maria McBride-Mellinger is leading expert on weddings. She was fashion editor for Bride's magazine for five years. She is the author of The Wedding Dress (Random House 1993) and Bridal Flowers (Bulfinch Press 1992). She is contributing editor to Bride's and a frequent contributor to other national magazines.

Review: Great ideas and details for across the seasons!
I wanted to get some sort of book for ideas because all that the brick-thick bridal magazines do is show you wedding gown after wedding gown with the occasional bridesmaids gown thrown in for variety. I wanted ideas for place settings, place cards, flower arrangements, cakes, favors, and even menus and was getting frustrated.

When I ordered this book, I was a little concerned because it is advertised as a reception for each of the four seasons. I'm having a winter wedding, so I was thinking "Oh Great- I'm only going to be able to use a fourth of this book." I was WRONG! Generally speaking this book manages to give you ideas for how to give your wedding (or any formal event) the *feel* of the season, but also gives you detailed ideas that may generalize throughout the year. For example: The spring bouquet with some modification would be beautiful for my December bouquet.

In addition to the seasonal advice, there are sections called "Fine points" dealing with general details such as "confections" (desserts), table accents (for formal, semi-formal and informal occasions), flowers, etc. The ideas that seem to be lacking in the literally foot-tall stack of bridal magazines are here in this book.

Yes, some of the ideas in the book are sorta pricey, but some are less pricey and very do-it-yourself (e.g. Juniper shrubs in galvanized tin buckets, covering the topsoil with moss and tying a silver mesh ribbon around the trunk- VERY cute, and highly do-able).

I highly recommend this book! I do wish there were a book for each of the seasons, but until then, don't be afraid of this one!

Review: Perfection!
As a second-time bride, this was the book that "did it" for me.
My October wedding reception, while not the exact replica of Ms. McBride-Mellinger's, incorporated as many of her ideas as I could. This is an absolutely beautiful book which will be an inspiration to any bride to be that wants a classy, memorable wedding befitting her chosen season. The settings, invitations, floral designs, cakes, and small touches are unique and certainly can be "scaled down" for those on a smaller budget.
Not the end-all, be-all catalogue of a bridal book...but a digestable and exquisite source of inspiration.

Review: Beautiful pictures, but not enough different weddings
This book has wonderful pictures of four weddings, one in each season.

The pictures are truly extraordinary, but they are almost exclusively of these four weddings, so there aren't tons of different ideas for each season, rather one "theme" idea for each season. One thing that disappointed me was that her summer wedding was a casual one on the beach, so if you want more formal ideas for a summer wedding you are out of luck. Like other reviewers have said, most of these perfect presentations would be completely out of a lot of people's price range, but you could definitely pull a few ideas that you loved from her spreads and make it work on a smaller budget. By and large this is a good supplementary book on reception ideas, with tons of photos and some good "idea" text (as opposed to "how-to" text.)

Review: creative suggestions
This book suggests many creative ways to make your wedding reception fun and unique. The author describes 4 weddings (one for each season) thoroughly and with an artist's eye for detail and color. She also provides an extensive index for all aspects of reception preparation and planning. The pictures vividly display the character of each wedding, bringing them to life. I would have prefered some extra examples with illustrations of decorationg ideas for each season that were not part of the featured wedding. It would have been nice to have some more practical examples of possibilities. The featured weddings are gorgeous but, for people like myself, a bit out of reach financially. Surely, one can put a creative, unique twist on some less eccentric styles to make them equally as special, beautiful and perfect for any wedding.

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording - Carlson Craft Invitations

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Verse 1

BRIDE and GROOM
request the pleasure of your
company at
their rehearsal dinner
DAY
YEAR
TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Verse 2

BRIDE'S PARENTS
request your company
at a Rehearsal Dinner
on the eve of the marriage of
BRIDE and GROOM
TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Verse 3

You are cordially invited to attend
a Rehearsal Dinner honoring
BRIDE
and
GROOM
on DAY
at TIME
ADDRESS
LOCATION
CITY, STATE

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Verse 4

HOSTS
request your company
at a Rehearsal Dinner
on the eve of the marriage of
BRIDE and GROOM
at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Verse 5

We request the pleasure of your company
at the Rehearsal Dinner in honor of
BRIDE and GROOM
on DAY
YEAR
at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

GROOM'S PARENTS

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation 6

Come help us celebrate the night away
on the eve of
WEDDING DATE
Cocktails, Dinner and Dancing
on DAY
beginning at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

Hosts:
NAMES

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation 7

Please join us for a Rehearsal Dinner
in honor of
BRIDE and GROOM
on DAY, YEAR
at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

HOSTS

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation 8

You are cordially invited to attend a
Rehearsal Dinner
in honor of
NAMES
on DAY
YEAR
at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation 9

To honor
the bride and groom-to-be
HOSTS
request your company
at a Rehearsal Dinner
on the eve of the marriage of
NAMES
at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation 10

Please Join Us . . .
We invite you to a Rehearsal Dinner
on the eve of the wedding of
BRIDE
and
GROOM
at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

GROOM'S PARENTS

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation 11

Love thrives in a garden
of patience and trust
BRIDE'S PARENTS
wish to spice up their home
by inviting the wedding party
to the Rehearsal Dinner
on DAY
at TIME
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation 12

In the garden of love
They have found true happiness

You are cordially invited to a
Rehearsal Dinner for
NAME
and
NAME
on the eve of their marriage
DATE at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation13

The man in the moon
whispered to the stars,
the sun gave a sign
and shouted to Mars . . .
for the bride- and groom-to-be
love has exploded, universally!

You are cordially invited
to a Rehearsal Dinner for
BRIDE and GROOM
DATE
TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation 14

Before they
walk down the aisle . . .

Please be our guest at a
Rehearsal Dinner
on the eve of
NAME and
NAME wedding
DATE at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS

NAME

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation 15

NAME
request the
pleasure of your
company at a
wedding rehearsal dinner for
NAME
and
NAME
to be held on
DATE
at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS

Bright White
This shade is the ultimate in white, very crisp, pure and bright!

Card
Invitation cards do not fold, your wording is printed on the front.

Deckle Edge
An uneven, feathery edge on a piece of paper is called a deckle edge. This edge is most commonly found on parchment invitations; however, other papers may also have deckle edges and will be noted in descriptions.

Die-Cutting
The process of using sharp metal rules to cut shapes and designs into paper. Die-cutting includes cutout shapes and sculpted edges.

Double Envelopes
The traditional set of two envelopes is used with formal invitations and announcements. The outer envelope is addressed to the guest and may have your (the sender’s) address printed on the back flap. The inner envelope, with the invitation and enclosures is enclosed inside the outer envelope. The inner envelope carries only the guests’ names. The inner envelope is available with a coordinating liner; it is not gummed and is not sealed.

Ecru
This color is a warm creamy beige.

Embossing
Embossing is like blind embossing above, only this type of printing uses ink or foil on the raised area to add drama and dimension.

Foil Stamping
This effect is achieved when colored foil is hot-stamped onto paper (perhaps a Christmas card) or accessory items, such as napkins.

Folder
Invitation folders are folded once, either to create a top or side fold. Your wording is printed on the front.

French-Fold
A sheet of paper folded twice to create a four-paneled invitation is considered French-folded. This fold is most common with parchment invitations.

Layers
This term indicates layers of paper tied or glued together. If the top layer is translucent and the lower is decorative paper, you’ll see a muted version of the lower layer through the translucent top.

Liners
This term refers to the decorative paper used to line the inside of an inner envelope or a single envelope.

Panel
A panel is the center section of your invitation “framed” by a raised area of paper. It also refers to pages facing each other. For example, a tri-fold invitation when opened fully, has a left, middle and right panel.

Parchment
This translucent paper is made to look like original parchment. This distinctive paper adds a softening effect to any invitation.

Pearlize
The process that applies a luminous pearl-like finish to part of an invitation, usually to an embossed design, is called pearlizing.

Short-Fold
A short-fold is created when a sheet of paper is folded once, not exactly in half, forming an invitation with a short front panel and longer back panel.

Thermography
This type of printing is created by adding a resin powder to wet ink, which when heated, creates a raised surface.

Tri-Fold
A tri-fold is created when a sheet of paper is folded twice to form a three-paneled invitation. Both outside panels are folded inward to cover the center panel.

Vellum
Vellum is a paper with a rich, smooth finish paper.

White
This shade is a soft white, like wedding gowns. It is a delicate hue.