Every piece
- WordingNo. 04How to announce your engagement, and who hears it firstTell your parents (and any children) yourselves, in person or by phone. Then siblings, grandparents and close friends. Post publicly only once those people have heard. Any announcement needs just your names and the news; a date, a venue and a guest list can all wait.Read it
- MoneyNo. 06How to build a wedding budget, and where the money really goesThe Knot’s 2026 study puts the average 2025 US wedding at about $34,000, or $292 a guest. Venue and catering take roughly half. Set your total, fix the guest count, add 20% or more for tax and service on food and drink, then hold 10 to 15% back for overruns.Read it
- MoneyNo. 07How much to tip wedding vendors, and when to hand it overIn the US, tip the people paid by the hour (servers, bartenders, hair and makeup, drivers, delivery crews) unless your contract already includes a gratuity. Tips for planners, photographers and owners are a thank-you, not a duty. In the UK, tipping suppliers is not expected.Read it
- MoneyNo. 08Who pays for what in a wedding, then and nowTraditionally the bride’s family paid for nearly everything, the groom’s family for the rehearsal dinner, license and officiant, and guests paid their own way. Today there is no rule: parents on average cover a little over half, many couples pay most of it, and the right split is the one you agree early.Read it
- PlanningNo. 09How to build your wedding day timeline, with a sample for a 4 p.m. ceremonyFor a 4 p.m. ceremony with the reception at the same venue, start hair and makeup around 10 a.m., finish photos with the wedding party by 3:15, open cocktail hour at 4:30, seat dinner at 5:30 and plan the send-off near 9:45. Pad every handoff with 10 to 15 minutes.Read it
- WordingNo. 10How to write your own wedding vowsFirst ask your officiant whether personal vows are allowed and where they go. Then agree length and tone with your partner, write a short memory, what you love, and three to five specific promises, and read it aloud with a timer. Most guides aim for one to two minutes, about 150 to 250 words.Read it
- PlanningNo. 11Questions to ask a wedding venue before you sign the contractBefore you sign, ask what the quoted price leaves out (service charge, tax, minimums), the exact hours you have the space, the rain plan, which vendors you can bring, what insurance you need, and what happens to your money if either side cancels. Get every answer in the contract.Read it
- TimelineNo. 01When to send save the dates and invitations for a 2027 weddingSend save the dates about 8 months before the wedding (10 if many guests travel far), invitations 8 weeks before (12 for travel), and ask for replies 4 weeks before. Send thank-you cards within about 3 months.Read it
- WordingNo. 02How to write the date and time on a wedding invitationOn a formal invitation, spell everything out: “Saturday, the twelfth of June” and “at four o’clock.” American etiquette drops the “and” from the year and prefers “half after four”; British cards often keep the “and” and say “half past.” Never print an all-numeric date like 12/06/27.Read it
- WebsiteNo. 03Should you put a password on your wedding website?Yes, if your page shows your venue, your date and anything about where you live or when you travel. Pick one short, ordinary word with no capitals or symbols, print it next to the web address on the card, and change it if it spreads. It keeps strangers out; it won’t stop someone a guest forwards it to.Read it
- WebsiteGuideWhat to put on your wedding websiteNine sections, in the order guests look for them, each with a real example line.Read it
- WebsiteGuideWedding website FAQ examplesThe ten questions guests ask, answered formally, warmly and casually.Read it