Indiana Brides Share Their Secrets!
On this page newlywed brides share their secrets to a successful wedding. Everything from the invitations to the dance at the reception is covered on this page. Every bride wants the perfect wedding and this is your chance to learn from brides who have already done it. These real-life experiences are invaluable for helping you avoid the pitfalls of the big day, and discovering some of the options that can only be learned through experience.

Cathy Whittaker of Bakersfield reminds us of a point of protocol. "The receiving line shouldn't be at the church unless the reception is there also. Too many brides make the mistake of receiving guests who are leaving the church when they should be greeting them at the reception. The photographer will take an hour to snap all the photos after the wedding, so the reception should be scheduled accordingly. The receiving line is the welcoming line at the reception and the bridesmaids should be in that line. There is a reason for this protocol--it will make your wedding go more smoothly."

Jennifer Owens of Bloomington tells her story: "I went from shop to shop trying to find bridesmaids dresses that all five of my bridesmaids would like. After three months of this, a salesclerk in a bridal shop finally informed me that she had never known, in ten years of selling gowns, a bridal party who all liked the gowns. Someone is going to hate them, she told me, but it's your wedding. Get on with it. I did, and bought all my gowns on the spot.

Alice Tremont, of Terre Haute, had this suggestion: When heard how far away our reception hall was, our photographer suggested that we take all the photographs before the wedding. That worked out really well because we were not only fresher and more composed, but we were able to go from the wedding right to the reception to greet our guests without making them wait. More brides should try this.

Mary Trevor of Indianapolis wrote: I've seen brides leave candy wrapped with their name and wedding date, and discovered something even better. We bought three dozen disposable cameras from an internet company. The cameras were white with our name embossed on them. Each camera was left on a table for the guests to use. The candid photos that we got were priceless, and we were able to include a photo with each thank-you note. I highly recommend this inexpensive way to make your wedding the most memorable ever.

Editor's note: for disposable wedding cameras try www.bridalink.com or just type   "disposable wedding cameras" into your browser's search engine. Shop around and   compare prices. (No affiliation or endorsement intended — see disclaimer on last page)

Kelly Griffith of Muncie discovered the following: I opened some of our gifts at the reception. What a disaster! When we got back from our honeymoon, I couldn't even begin to remember who sent what. Later, I did some reading up on wedding protocol. Guests should avoid bringing gifts to a reception. All wedding gifts should be sent to the bride at the address on the invitation. It is quite proper to send a gift up to a year after the wedding. Always assign a family member to take care of gifts carried to the reception and to write in the bride's book who sent them.

Pamela Carter of Muncie alerted us to this problem: The flowers often get shortchanged because your budget gets used up on everything else. If you haven't left enough money to do the flowers, don't buy a lot of little frilly bows and hang them on each pew. Spend your money on the flowers in the front of the church because that is where your pictures will be taken. Anything else, like ribbon or nosegays on the pews looks cheap.

Lillian Smalley of Owensville had some help from her minister: We had to cut so many people from our guest list that I was thought we would never get it all sorted out. Then the minister of our church helped by looking up the etiquette for inviting guests. The order of elimination when deciding who to cut is as follows. First, children, unless they belong to you or the groom (not unusual these days). Second, guests of unmarried friends. Third, business associates. Fourth, parents of attendants, Fifth, second cousins. We sent cards to everyone explaining that we were having a very small, private wedding, and included a photo. Everyone seemed pleased with this.

Jane Norman of Shelbyville saved money on her gowns: If you want to save money on your gown, you don't have to go to a thrift store or by a used, out-of-style gown. There is a fabulous discount bridal outlet in Cincinnati where you can get the latest fashions for 50 to 75% less than what you would pay in a regular bridal store. I bought my wedding dress, tiara, veil, and jewelry there and saved over two thousand dollars! And they had a huge selection of brand new gowns in the latest styles from a lot of different bridal designers. If you're on a budget, look for a bridal outlet store.