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Once you and your groom reach the ten month mark, it’s the perfect time to begin your save the date search. Selecting your save-the-dates is such an exciting process because the options are truly endless. More importantly, you are formally announcing to family and friends that your upcoming nuptials are fast approaching — and they better mark their calendars!

For our save-the-dates, Michael and I opted for a matte 4x6 announcement that featured the New York City skyline to give our guests a preview of what to expect on our wedding day (see below).

I love the idea of selecting save-the-dates that are entirely different from your wedding invitation, especially for brides who want to play it safe with their formal invites (myself included). Opt for fun and engaging announcements that leave your guests eagerly anticipating your big day. Not sure where to start? Check out these unique trends and don't be afraid to experiment!

1. Make it Stick

Ensure that your save-the-date doesn’t get misplaced by sending a magnet featuring your pretty mugs. “Stamp of Love” Photo Magnet, available at agiftfulheart.com, starts at $54.

2. Jot it Down

Have your family and friends “pencil you in" with this letterpress save-the-date, available through melangerienyc.com. Prices start at $1,300.

Each week, we feature wedding music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from Damian P. Based in NYC, Damian specializes in blending songs across all generations. He is the DJ of choice for exclusive fashion events with Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Guess, and many more. Damian loves bringing his mixing skills and energetic style to modern weddings. "Spinning for a wedding is the ultimate challenge as a DJ. You have to know how to please all guests — young and old — while keeping the dance floor moving. It's a process I truly enjoy.”

Photo Credit: Solar Photographers

When the time came for bride Joyce McDevitt, 64, to choose her bridesmaids, she was faced with quite a dilemma. She comes from a large family; plus, Joyce and her husband, David, have seven kids and eight grandchildren between them.  "I had 22 bridesmaids from my side of the family, plus David's two daughters Ruth, 41, and Katie, 30, and his granddaughter," she told the Daily Mail. Plus, she couldn't see getting married without her five lifelong friends by her side. The result: 30 bridesmaids, two on stand-by, and a ceremony spot picked special to accomodate this super-sized bridal party. 

Photo via The Daily Mail

Read the full story here. 

What do you think—how many bridesmaids is too many?

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

P.S. Joyce didn't even come close to the world record, set by Jill Stapleton in 2010 with 110 bridesmaids.

Photo Credit: Jason Kaczorowski Photography  

If you’re one of those girls who has been daydreaming about your wedding for years, did you ever stop and think about the size of the wedding you wanted? I never really considered it, but have been thinking about this a lot as of late. There are pros and cons to each size wedding that you’ll want to keep in mind.

Small Wedding
 

2 – 50 guests. If you're having a destination wedding or civil ceremony, 50 people might sound like a lot, but think about it: You’ve got mom and dad (times two), grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, co-workers. The numbers are starting to get up there, aren’t they? The major pro of a small wedding is that you can make it extremely intimate and personal—you'll spend a significant amount of time with each guest.

[Editor's Note: This week, real bride guest blogger Jessica Lubin Hall explains why she and her husband James decided to have a second wedding reception. We thought her story was fascinating—she makes a compelling case. Take it away, Jess!]

While our wedding took place this past June in New York, there were a lot of people from my hometown of Phoenix who either couldn’t make it or we weren't able to invite because of size. So my parents hosted a second reception at their home last month. We had an absolute blast catching up with friends I’ve known my whole life. And we even had a signature cocktail, dubbed the J & J Cocktail, with vodka and watermelon puree. It was divine.

We put out a copy of the invitation that my cousin-in-law's mom painted for us and the guest book for everyone to sign. Our invitations were essentially the same, just without a response card and ribbon detail (RSVP info was listed on the invite). 

My mom and I really wanted to echo the wedding at the house. While we couldn’t be in the beautiful Hudson Valley, we reused my wedding candles throughout the house on tables and mantles. My mom also bought luminarias that we put out by the pool and lit when the sun went down. They really helped create more ambiance, and light, to the outside.

I don’t know about you, but I am stu-umped for gifts this year. I normally go on a buying bonanza whenever I’m traveling and stock up up on goodies for the fam., but this year, not so much. If you are in my similar oh-gosh-whatever-am-I-going-to-buy? boat then  you’ll totally appreciate this amazing travel book-slash-tool from the hip (and helpful) team at Jetsetter.com.

Imagine that you're flying far away from all of the wedding-planning stress and skipping out on the bills. Amazing, right? It gets even better: Every decision has been predetermined for you by The Ultimate Real Bride Panel and executed by one of the most sought-after celeb party planners in the world. 

Now, picture a spectacular venue, oh, let's say about 1,454 feet above the glittering skyline of New York City. By the way, you're getting married on the most romantic day of the year.

Sounds like the ultimate fantasy, but it's actually all part of "The Wings of Love," a new contest thrown by the Empire State Building and Colin Cowie. Four lucky couples will win a free Valentine's Day wedding at the iconic NYC landmark, which only hosts weddings once a year on that day.

Facebook fans will vote on everything from the brides' Kleinfeld dresses, grooms' Men's Wearhouse tuxes, flowers, and cake, a la The Today Show. The fun doesn't stop there: Once the wedding is over, they'll decide which couple should win the grand prize of $100,000, to kick off their newlywed bliss. 

Most weddings are focused around the big things: venue, dress, food and dancing. However, small, well thought-out details can have a huge impact without breaking the bank! I know I’m not the only Real Bride to spend hours wide-eyed searching through Pinterest, right? It’s a great site to encourage you to get creative and it’s the inspiration behind some of these ideas.

1. Cookies and milk. I LOVE the idea of bringing out champagne flutes filled with milk and stacked with a warm chocolate chip cookie on top towards the end of the reception. I never thought this tasty combo could look classy, but it totally does! The only reason we probably won’t be doing this at our wedding is because we think almost everyone will be drinking and milk just doesn’t mesh well with booze, unfortunately.

Photo Credit: Drew B Photography
Designed By: Preston Bailey

The Annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is infamous for its high-energy, fun catwalk (bedecked in glitter, natch) and equally rousing musical performances (this year, Beyonce sang along with husband Jay-Z from the sidelines). 

Select your fantasy theme based on your honeymoon destination—props optional.

If You're Traveling On A...

One of the best things about personalizing your wedding is all of the memorable keepsakes you can create. That's why we instantly fell in love with this creative guest book/table number combo.

Photo Credit: Fuzzy Gerdes/Flickr 

The best part is that it's super easy to make. On each table, place a blank notebook inside of an envelope with the corresponding table number/anniversary year. Immediately after the wedding, seal those envelopes so that you're not tempted to take a peek before the right anniversary! Then, on each anniversary, you'll get to break out the corresponding envelope and enjoy some of the messages from your beloved friends and family members.

Check out more of our favorite unique wedding guest books!

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein