Can I indicate where I've registered for wedding gifts in my wedding invitations?

Slipping a wedding gift registry card into your invitation seems like the most sensible way to let your wedding guests know where you're registered right? Wrong. Even though the store you registered at gave you cards for this reason mentioning gifts of any kind in your wedding invitations is poor etiquette. Word of mouth is the only proper way to inform wedding guests where you are registered. So make sure you tell all of your closest friends, bridal party and family members where you're registered so they can inform other guests when askedand believe me they'll probably ask.

My fiancé and I have already purchased a house and we have everything we need as far as furnishings, dishes, cutlery and dcor. How can I politely ask guests to give money instead of a gift at my wedding?

If you're thinking about mentioning money gifts in your wedding invitations, don't even think about it! There is nothing more tasteless then the mention of wedding gifts in a wedding invitation, period! It suggests you see your wedding guests as dollar signs. The only polite way to tell wedding guests about your money preference would be to explain your situation to close family, wedding party members and friends so that they can pass the word along. Your wedding guests will then be aware of your preference and be free to give you whatever they like.

I have a family friend with the most misbehaved son. I don't want him screaming bloody murder during my vows and running amuck at my wedding reception. How can I get out of inviting him to my wedding?

There are a few different ways of not inviting someone to your wedding. The first is to simply leave their name off of the wedding invitation. However, children are another story and you'll find that guests with kids will still assume they can bring them. If you still want to invite the parents you can call them and let them know you are unable financially to invite everyone you wanted to invite so you had to cut the guest list by not inviting kids in the family. Be prepared for backlash. Many parents strongly believe that weddings are family affairs and that children shouldn't be excluded. If you're excluding some children and not others this is definitely bound to offend someone and you could lose a friend or two in the process.

Another alternative solution might be to have an 'adults only' wedding, one where no children were invited. The term 'adults only' would be printed on your wedding invitation sending a clear message to parents, but not excluding only certain children in the process. The 'adults only' wedding might still garner some hostility but, you can just explain you've done so for financial reasons (who can really argue with that).

A final resolution to your kid dilemma would be to have a kids table at your reception. A table with crayons, coloring books and maybe even a clown would keep the kids from running around and causing trouble. Or hire a babysitter to look after the children in a different room at the reception venue. Guest with kids will likely be able to enjoy the reception without having to watch the kids and be flattered that you covered the babysitting costs for the evening.

I'm getting married for the second time next fall. My first wedding was a simple civil ceremony at the local city hall. This is my fiancé's first wedding and he wants a traditional church wedding. Is it acceptable for me to wear a white bridal gown?

Please refer to our page on second-time brides for an in depth description. In my opinion, a second time bride has just as much right as a first time bride to look her best on her wedding day. Today, white is no longer considered a color reserved for virginal brides. Let's face it most women who marry in this day and age are hardly virginal. White had become a traditional symbol of joy and second-time brides are just as joyful as first time brides (maybe even more so). So go ahead and wear the bouffant white ballerina gown and remember the second time round is a charm!