Christina Child

Heartful.ly Registry - the Wedding Registry that Gives Back
January 9, 2017 by Christina Child

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"Celebrate your big day by making someone else’s"

We are so happy to share this awesome company with you! Heartful.ly is a wedding registry that connects generous couples and their communities to charitable projects around the world. From building a classroom in Tanzania to providing warm meals for children in need in the U.S., Hearful.ly allows your wedding gifts to contribute to building a legacy to grow with your marriage. How sweet is that?!

Real couples making a difference

Casey and Ted - Special Olympics Missouri

Casey's grandfather, J.D. developed a close relationship with Special Olympics during his life. He truly was passionate about the organization and the athletes. His love inspired Casey to begin coaching a Special Olympics basketball team when she moved to St. Louis 5 years ago. She has developed a bond with her players, families and other coaches that continues to grow every season. Now Ted can be seen assisting Casey and cheering from the bench like it is his own team. Special Olympics not only helps athletes stay active and healthy, but it is an integral platform in providing opportunities for success and friendship among each and every participant.

The amount of money generously donated through their registry sent 15 athletes through the Athlete Leadership Program!

Rusty and Monica - Sent a student to high school in Tanzania

These two sponsored Zulfa Dadi with everything she needs for her first year of secondary school. Zulfa is a bright thirteen-year-old being raised by a single mom. Her mother works as a farmer, earning very little, and would have no way to pay Zulfa's school expenses. Zulfa is shy, sweet and whip smart- always finishing at the top of her class. She has ambitions to become a nurse, a dream that she would never have realized without their support.

We absolutely love the idea of selflessly foregoing traditional gifts to provide to those in need. What a great way to start a marriage!

Want to learn more about Heartful.ly?! Browse their list of current projects here...

5 Things I Learned as a Hired Bridesmaid by Jen Glantz
December 20, 2016 by Christina Child

We're thrilled to have Jen Glantz of Bridesmaids for Hire back as a contributor to the Wedding Party blog! In this installment she shares five things she's learned as a hired bridesmaid... Enjoy!

When I started Bridesmaid for Hire, two years ago, I never imagined that the strangers who welcomed me as a part of their wedding day would be the people to rock my view on life, love, and the endless pursuit of happiness. I also never imagined that working weddings, as a professional bridesmaid would completely shake up the fairy tale view I held onto for years about how my own wedding would look one day when I finally locked arms with the man of my dreams. After watching over 40 couples say I Do, some stomping on glass to kick off the marriage, and others just swapping a kiss, I’m ready to share with you the top 5 things I have learned so far as a hired bridesmaid.

1. Bridesmaids Need to Chill Being a bridesmaid is no easy feat and often times it’s a role that’ll cost you too much money, time, and a bit of sanity. But the easiest way to make it through your own personal bridesmaid adventure is to realize that the wedding you’re about to walk down the aisle at isn’t your special day, so you may be asked to do things and wear things and go places that you don’t particularly fancy. If all of that bothers you from the start, skip out on being a bridesmaid and instead be the ultimate wedding guest. If you’re okay with giving up a few of your weekends here and there and wearing a polyester dress you never dreamed of wearing, even in your worst nightmares, then leave your negativity, eye rolls, and even bridesmaidzilla attitude at home.

2. Laughter Cures All The morning of the wedding, when the bride is getting her glam on, and the wedding vendors are off making everything look like her not so hidden Pinterest board, things can and will feel stressful. The best thing anyone near the bride can do is make her laugh. It’s free, easy, and truly the only way to survive the hours before it’s time to walk down the aisle.

3. Old School Traditions Need to End If you don’t know why or don’t like why you “should” wear white to your wedding, toss the bouquet, or wear a veil, it’s okay to leave it out of your celebration. Old school traditions are old. Plan the wedding of your dreams, even if those dreams are a bit wild from any wedding you’ve ever been to before.

4. Weddings are Expensive When I’d go to friend’s weddings as a bridesmaid, I never knew how much of a tab they ran up to throw such a lavish party for 8-hours. But working with brides closely and seeing how much they spend on the venue and their vendors has made me realize that weddings cost more than most people pay for a car, a down payment on a house, or to attend college for four years and that is just oddly ridiculous.

5. People Get Married for Reasons Other Than Love It’s the truth, sometimes. I’ve seen it all. Extreme cases of cold feet. Brides admitting they aren’t marrying “the one” but just anyone. And even once a bride who told me that she was marrying a guy that was gay for reasons that didn’t quite make the most sense to me (you can read that whole story here).

Jen is the author of the new book Always a Bridesmaid (For Hire) and the founder of the head-turning business, Bridesmaid for Hire. She can often be spotted wearing old bridesmaid dresses to the grocery store or on first dates. You can follow her adventure here.

A Tasty New Trend in Wedding Registries!
October 13, 2016 by Christina Child

As you plan your wedding, you have enough to worry about. From choosing the best photo albums, finding an online wedding invitation maker and which registry to use will consume your day. Speaking of registries, the days of registries filled with crockpots and white towels are long gone. In recent years we've seen the emergence of unconventional wedding gift registries, including: cash only, honeymoon experiences, down payments for houses, future children's college funds, and charitable donations.

But what about a registry for foodies? I recently discovered a genius idea... restaurant registries. Friends and family buy restaurant gift certificates picked out by the bride & groom to dining establishments in the city where the wedding couple lives... ranging from inexpensive, favorite spots to that-place-that's-a-little-pricier-than-we-normally-go-for. Cooking classes, food tours, and food/wine delivery subscriptions are a great addition too!

This is a fantastic idea for lots of reasons. The average age at which most people get married is rising - and more people are cohabiting before marriage - so most couples already own the majority of household items that appear on the standard wedding registry.

Even better, a restaurant registry provides a year (maybe more!) of built-in, free date nights! Couples are bound to have dinner out once a week anyway... With a stockpile of restaurant gift cards they have the perfect excuse to try that place they've been wanting to without breaking the bank!

What do you think about this idea? Would you opt for a food-based registry?

Image via thepalm.com

7 Ideas for Kid-Friendly Weddings
October 7, 2016 by Christina Child

Photo by Canvas on Demand

1. Coloring wallpaper. What kid doesn't love coloring on the walls? With coloring wallpaper you can keep kids entertained and even have it double as a backdrop for a photobooth! All you need is a piece of the wallpaper and markers, crayons or colored pencils and you're good to go. Feeling really fancy? Have canvas prints made of each child in black and white and let them shade in their own portrait for a fun keepsake!

2. Kid friendly food. Most children are picky eaters and they may not like the beef or fish options you and your caterer have carefully selected for your special day. Make sure you have a couple of kid-approved options so that parents aren't having to worry about their children having cake for dinner. Also be sure to have kid appropriate beverages like juice, milk, or flavored water for the little ones.

3. Dance songs kids will know. There's a lot of classic wedding songs that adults know and love, we're looking at you "Electric Slide," but these don't always resonate with children. Work with your DJ to come up with fun dance songs that kids will know too. Recently Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) has been a favorite!

4. Create a designated "Kid's Zone". Designate one area specifically for the children and stock it with activities (see below) that will entertain the kids for hours. Make it feel extra special by roping off the location or even allocating a special tent or teepee exclusively for the children.

5. Games. Obviously you'll need multiple activities that are fun and age appropriate for a range of ages. A good list includes bubble wands, glow sticks, hula hoops, a lego table, puzzles, giant Jenga, sidewalk chalk, coloring wallpaper, pinatas, etc.

6. Scavenger Hunt. Up the ante with a scavenger hunt! Think about your venue ahead of time and create a list of sights or objects for the kids to search for. Create a checklist and print off enough copies for each child.

7. Origami station. Never underestimate the power of a couple of origami pattern printouts/books and a pack of square paper! Make sure to have varying levels of difficulty for kids of different ages. The finished product doubles as a fun keepsake for the little ones to take home and remember your wedding by.

A Genius Idea for Thank You Notes that Feel Super Special!
September 29, 2016 by Christina Child

A genius idea for writing thank you notes that feel super special | via Wedpics.com

I recently attended a wedding (the 7th of this year, in fact!). A few weeks later, as expected, I received a card in the mail. I fully expected the standard thank-you-for-the-crockpot note, but I was surprised to find a super thoughtful addition inside the envelope.

There was a printed photo of me and my date dancing at the wedding... a photo that I had yet to even see online. The handwritten note was written on the opposite side. What a great idea! With photo prints costing less than they ever have, you can create a special custom wedding thank you card and include a personalized, special touch that will really set you apart!

Plus, if you used WedPics at your wedding, you will no doubt have lots of great photos to choose from of all your guests.

8 Fun RSVP Card Questions
September 22, 2016 by Christina Child

We've all seen the boring RSVP card that everyone expects... chicken or fish, attending or not-attending. Since you're already paying for the return postage, why not use your RSVP cards as an opportunity to ask your guests questions that they'll enjoy answering, and you'll love reading. Here are 8 fun RSVP card questions!

1. Song Request - allow your guest to request their favorite wedding song and add it to your playlist. Guests will be more excited to hit the dance floor when they feel personally tied to the music. Plus you may get some great song ideas that you hadn't thought of!

2. Marriage Advice - allow a couple of extra lines for guests to share their best piece of marriage or relationship advice. You can even compile the advice and use as a display at your wedding!

3. Favorite Date Night - Guests will have fun getting creative with their favorite date ideas. Plus, when you get stuck in a date night rut you can always refer back to your RSVP cards for easy ideas.

4. Favorite Family Recipe - All of your invited guests will have their own special family recipe. Collect one from each and create a wedding guest recipe book. Added bonus if you print copies of it as favors at your wedding!

5. Honeymoon Recommendations - If you haven't chosen your honeymoon destination, asking your guests for their favorite vacation spot might provide you with some surprising inspiration. Be sure to ask for the place, and their favorite things to do there.

6. Future Kid's Names - You'll get a mix of serious and silly responses with this question. But hey, you might actually fall in love with one of the suggestions...

7. A Fortune Teller Foresees that My Fiance and I Will... - This open ended question could result in all kinds of wacky responses. All the more fun to read through as they are mailed back in.

8. First Anniversary Ideas - Have guests fill in suggestions for your first anniversary. Save all of the cards and enjoy looking back at them together closer to the one year mark!

Top image via Etsy

20 Beautiful Reasons to Have a Summer Camp Wedding
September 21, 2016 by Christina Child

Summer Camp Wedding - Via Wedding Party App

Elizabeth Messina Photography

Whether you're inspired by Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, or get all of the nostalgic feels thinking about your childhood summers spent at sleep away camp, there are tons of reasons to opt for a summer camp wedding! Not only can it allow you to have all of your friends and family present in one place for the entire wedding weekend, but camps can also provide a beautiful backdrop with an added bonus of tons of activities to keep your guests occupied (swimming, canoeing, archery, fire pits, etc). Keep in mind that not all summer camps host private events (and if they do they are mostly limited to spring and fall weekends) and you'll want to double check about alcohol and catering rules. Here are 20 photos that prove summer camp is the way to go for the rustic, outdoorsy couple!

1. Fun invitations that feel like childhood