Decorating a wedding is a huge undertaking—especially if you are going the DIY route. From the ceremony to the cocktail hour and reception, there are a lot of moving pieces and spaces to think about when it comes to decor. But instead of thinking about your wedding decorations in pieces or even in portions of the evening, you should repurpose your wedding decor from ceremony to reception. This move will not only save you money, but it will save you time (and, let’s face it, sanity).

All it takes is a little bit of organization with your wedding venue, wedding planner, or even some generous family members or friends who can volunteer to move the decorations from point A to point B. As you are directing your wedding vendors where you would like the decorative items to go, be specific and have an exact plan of what to tell them so you’re satisfied with the end result. A little over-preparedness never hurt anyone when it comes to wedding planning.

Here’s how to repurpose ceremony decorations into reception decorations with a few quick and clever tricks.

Use Your Ceremony Arch or Chuppah as the Background for Your Cake Table

The backdrop where you say your vows shouldn’t just be left behind in the ceremony space! Reuse it by placing it right behind the cake table to create some visual interest for your cake cutting photos.

If your ceremony space is in the same room as the reception, simply move the ceremony chairs out of the way and push the cake table in front of it. This way, you won’t have to carry a heavy or precarious archway or decor piece across the room. If, however, your ceremony space is not in the same room as your reception, it may be easier to take any floral arrangements off the archway and then place them at the sweetheart table or drape them over the cake table. Talk to your florist beforehand about repurposing any flowers or garlands from the ceremony to the reception and the two of you can come up with a clever solution that will save you time and money.

Use Lanterns and Candles at the Cake or Guestbook Table

A beautifully lit ceremony is one of the best ways to give the space a more intimate and romantic feel, so why not transfer that same look and feeling over to the reception? All it takes is a little organization to bring over all the lanterns and candles that illuminated the ceremony space. Reuse any lanterns or candleabras on the ends of the cake table or place them strategically on the guestbook or gift tables before the guests start to filter in. Of course, you should always take safety into concern and make sure no paper products are too close to any lit candles. Just as a precaution, keep those gifts and the guest book at least six inches away from any lit candles to prevent a fire hazard. Also, make sure you have someone standing watch over any lit candles at all times.

Use a Flower Curtain or Ribbon Curtain as a Photo Booth Backdrop

Flower curtains or ribbon curtains give your ceremony space a beautiful and whimsical look that should be seen throughout the entire evening. Instead of leaving your ceremony curtain behind, re-use it as a backdrop to a DIY photo booth in the reception space. This will make over the traditionally quirky photo booth as a more elegant and refined space for your friends to pose all night. Of course, we aren’t suggesting to ditch any funny props or signs that you were planning on having for the photo booth—but at least this will give those goofy photos a pretty backdrop.

Reuse Flower Arrangements for Table Decorations

Flowers are easily one of the biggest wedding expenses for couples. It’s estimated that couples spend, on average, around $2,000 for all the flowers for the ceremony, reception, bridal bouquet, boutonnieres, and bridesmaid bouquets. To save yourself some time (and some cash), you can easily repurpose the ceremony flowers into decorations for your reception.

One of the easiest tricks here is to use the bridesmaid bouquets as your centerpiece flowers on the reception tables. All you have to do to get these ready is to have a glass vase filled with some water and instruct your girls to drop their bouquet in an empty spot. If your number of guest tables outnumbers your bridal party, you can also re-use any altar flower arrangements that your florist created and surround those pieces with a few votives as your centerpiece. Remember that not all of your guest tables have to be identical. In fact, having completely identical tablescapes can sometimes make your reception look a little stale and homogenous.

You may only think of cocktail hour as a precursor to the rest of the wedding reception, but it’s actually an important event that sets the tone for the rest of the wedding. Plus, it’s a great way for family and friends to relax before dinner. Guests have the opportunity to mix, mingle, and transition between the ceremony and the party at the reception. Your cocktail hour doesn’t have to be complicated, but you do want it to be special and show some thoughtfulness and creativity. Here are our seven best tips for a killer cocktail hour before your wedding reception.

1. Create Stations to Prevent Long Lines

Instead of creating a long line of thirsty wedding guests at cocktail hour, create several stations so that traffic can filter out and guests can move around the room or space easily. One idea for creating stations is to have a signature cocktail at each, along with choices of wine or beer if they aren’t interested in spirits. At each station you can also place out appetizers that pair with the drinks or ask your caterer to have servers passing them out to hungry guests.

2. Get Crafty With a Create-Your-Own Cocktail Bar

Sure, you could order a drink from a bartender, but a way to make cocktail hour more personalized and fun is to have a create-your-own cocktail bar. Provide your guests with all the spirits, liquors, and garnishes like cherries, olives, or fresh mint so that they can create a DIY concoction. Another alternative to keep it simple (and less pricey) is to only set out the ingredients needed for mimosas, Bloody Marys, or a martini bar so that you don’t have to purchase as much liquor.

3. Have Seated and Standing Rest Spots

Not all of your guests will want to have a seat and may prefer to work the room and mingle, but some of your guests (particularly the older ones) will want to have a place to sit down and relax as they sip their drinks and nibble on their appetizers. Create a variety of seated and standing areas where guests can lay down their drinks and have plenty of space to gather during your cocktail hour.

4. Have Plenty of Signage, but Don’t Go Overboard on Decor

You want your cocktail hour to have the same vibe as your wedding, but you don’t want to blow your entire decor budget on it—you do have a reception to plan, after all. The best decorations for cocktail hour will be signage for specialty cocktails and hors d’oeuvres (if you plan on having them out buffet style) as well as a few candles on each cocktail table. Keep it simple and out of your guests’ ways. They have plenty of time to marvel at your decorating skills during the reception portion of the evening.

5. You Don’t Have to Offer Every Kind of Wine or Beer

While it’s understandable that you want to please all of your guests by giving them several choices of wine and beer, the truth is that there’s no way you’ll have everyone’s favorite label. To keep things simple, offer a couple choices of reds, a couple choices of whites, and a few crowd-favorite beers you’re sure will go over well. This way, you won’t have tons of leftover and you’ll keep your budget in check.

6. Don’t Have too Much Food

When you’re hosting an event, there’s a tendency to assume that your guests will come ravenously hungry and stay that way throughout the evening. Although it’s perfectly fine to ensure that your guests are well fed, you don’t want to overfeed them during cocktail hour and ruin their appetite for dinner. Not only do you want your guests to still be hungry during the meal so that they enjoy it, but you don’t want to waste a bunch of food (and therefore money). You might have attended weddings in the past where there was a meat carving station or a pasta station during their cocktail hour, but we suggest to skip this. Your guests will get too full before dinner and this is just an additional expense that’s unnecessary.

7. Go with Finger Foods

Whatever type of food you decide to serve during cocktail hour, don’t require the use of a fork to eat it. Not all of your guests will want to sit down with a fork and knife as they sip on their drinks. Make it easier on your guests by serving food they can easily pop in their mouths or hold onto on a cocktail napkin while they order up another beer or have a conversation with a friend. Having foods that require utensils just makes everything infinitely more complicated, so just keep it simple!

It hardly seems imaginable if you’re currently knee deep in wedding plans, but there will indeed be a last moment of your wedding reception. The food and champagne will be gone, and the guests will be eager to say goodbye and good luck to you. So when this moment finally arrives, how do you envision it happening?

If the idea of the traditional flower or rice throwing makes you yawn or if you think a sparkler exit has been overdone, you’ll need to think of a creative exit that is sure to wow your guests. To help spark your imagination, we’ve gathered seven of the most memorable ways to end your reception.

1. Serve Some Late Night Snacks

If your reception is going late into the night, it’s likely that your guests have had several hours of drinking champagne and dancing, which means that a late night snack is on the horizon. Save your guests that trip to the Taco Bell drive-through and surprise them with some late night munchies like a cookies and milk display, a slew of pepperoni pizzas delivered to the venue, or even your favorite food truck rolling up into the parking lot after the reception. Anticipating the needs of your guests at the end of the night is just one of those details that they won’t likely forget anytime soon.

2. Have a Performance

We’ve all seen those viral videos of couples breaking it down during their first dance—so why not flip that idea on its head and have a breakout performance at the end of the evening? Wow your guests with your rendition of Grease karaoke or surprise them with a choreographed dance to your favorite soundtrack. Whatever your secret talents are, this is your chance to make them shine and create an unforgettable wedding exit that your guests will be talking about for years to come.

3. Light Some Wish Lanterns

Is there anything more breathtaking than watching a bunch of white lanterns illuminate the night sky? Incorporate the use of “wish lanterns” into your reception exit so that your guests can send you good wishes out into the universe as you embark on this new journey of marriage. Not only will it be a memorable experience for you and all your guests, but it’ll also look stunning in photographs and make a nice ending for your wedding video. But before you go out and purchase some lanterns on Amazon, double-check with your venue and with your local fire codes that they’re allowed.

4. Have an Exciting “Celebrity” Appearance

Every town has their own version of a celebrity—why not invite them to join the party? Whether it’s a team mascot or a famous local band, making arrangements to surprise your guests with a cameo at the end of the night is sure to keep them talking. Have a band play you out to your favorite song or have a mascot do some crowd work as you exit the building.

5. Make a Speech

You’ve spent your evening talking to as many guests as you can, but a great way to end the evening is to make a speech thanking everyone for celebrating with you. Spend some time drafting this speech and be as creative as you can. Introduce some humor or go with something sweet and sentimental. Either way, your guests will appreciate hearing your voices before you embark on your honeymoon.

6. Have an Exciting “Celebrity” Appearance

Every town has their own version of a celebrity—why not invite them to join the party? Whether it’s a team mascot or a famous local band, making arrangements to surprise your guests with a cameo at the end of the night is sure to keep them talking. Have a band play you out to your favorite song or have a mascot do some crowd work as you exit the building.

7. Host an After Party

Who says the party has to stop when the venue closes down? Many couples are choosing to extend the fun of the reception by hosting an after party at their favorite bar or hotel lobby so that they can get extra time with their guests and pop some more champagne. After all, how often is it that you get all of your favorite people in the world in the same room? If you choose to go the after party route, be sure that you make arrangements for it beforehand so that the bar staff is prepared for a large party. Reserve a room at a bar or have them put a few tables together before you arrive.

Before you got engaged, you didn’t think it was possible to love a piece of jewelry this much. Whether you were completely caught off guard with a proposal or you picked out the ring together, that sparkly bauble is your new favorite thing. Your new ring is also a huge responsibility—and may well be one of the most expensive things you own (gulp!). But as much as you love your new ring, there is always a possibility of losing it, damaging it, or, yes, that it gets stolen.

To protect your ring and your financial investment, it’s recommended that you procure engagement ring insurance so that if you damage one of the stones at the gym or lose it somewhere in the sand on the beach, you can get the ring repaired or replaced.

There are two ways to insure your engagement ring:

1. Through your homeowners/renters insurance policy: You can add in an extension or a “rider” for your engagement ring on your homeowners or renters insurance policy, which essentially is a one-off item on your policy.
2. Through a specialty jewelry insurer: If you don’t have homeowners or renters insurance or you are interested in special additional protection, you could also insure your ring through a jewelry insurer. These companies, like Jewelers Mutual, offer more comprehensive plans.

Here’s a breakdown of all the pros and cons of engagement ring insurance and how it can be used to protect that priceless piece of jewelry.

Pro: Insurance Protects Your Investment

The most obvious pro of engagement ring insurance is that it protects your investment. As sentimental as this particular piece of jewelry is—it’s a very large investment that you (or your spouse-to-be) have made and it should be protected just like any other asset you own. Depending on the way you insure your ring (through your homeowners/renter policy or a specialty jewelry insurance policy), you can protect your ring from disappearance, fire, theft, and sudden physical damage. Pay special attention to how the rider or insurance policy is worded so that you have an accurate understanding of what is covered and what is not. For example, some insurance extensions may not cover disappearance of a ring if you can’t prove that it was stolen.

Pro: Engagement Ring Insurance Is Not Generally Expensive

While your ring may have been expensive, the good news is that it’s not that costly to keep up with insurance. Most insurance companies will charge you about 1–2% of the total appraised value of the ring. This means that a $5,000 engagement ring will cost between $50–$100 to insure annually. These figures can vary depending on the city and state you live in as well as the size and value of the ring. If you want an exact figure on your ring, call an insurance company for a quote on what your specific annual cost will be.

Pro: Adding Insurance for Your Wedding Ring Isn’t Difficult

Talking about insurance isn’t generally the most exciting thing you’ll be doing after you first get engaged, but the process for protecting your ring isn’t all that complicated or difficult. In fact, for those who are adding on an extension to their additional policy, all it takes is a quick phone call to your existing insurer and you can be insured within a few minutes.

Pro: You Will Have Peace of Mind

Losing your engagement ring or wedding band would be (understandably) devastating. Why not save yourself any potential agony and insure the ring so that you can have peace of mind if the unthinkable happens? Even if you consider yourself responsible and you’ve never lost anything in your life, it’s still a good idea to be overly cautious with something so precious.

Con: Insurance Companies Can Sneak Things into the Fine Print

When you are securing insurance for your ring, you have to be very cautious and read all of the fine print to ensure that you completely understand what your policy covers and what it doesn’t. Some insurance companies will limit where you can shop for a replacement or will provide you with a lot of obstacles if the ring has simply vanished. To make sure that you are completely protected in the way that you expect, ask your insurance agent questions up front so that you aren’t surprised later when it’s too late.

Con: Some Insurance Companies Have a Maximum Limit

If you spent quite a bundle on your ring or you already have jewelry that is insured through your current insurance company, it’s possible to hit a ceiling on the maximum amount they will cover. If this is the case, you should consider adding an extra policy with a specialty jewelry insurer so that you know 100 percent that you are protected.

You know you want your wedding ring to be special (and who doesn’t?), but one way to guarantee that your ring stands out among the rest is by going vintage. Halo rings are beautiful and a solitary princess cut diamond is timeless, but what you’re looking for is a little more unconventional. A vintage wedding ring brings an extra touch of glamour as well as an extra sense of history and mystery. It’s fun to think about the previous owner of your ring and explore the origins of the ring or how it was made.

There are many different styles and eras of vintage wedding rings—and shopping for one can often feel like looking for a needle in a haystack–but if you love the thrill of the hunt and are willing to be patient, a vintage wedding ring might just be the right fit for you. Not quite ready to go treasure hunting yet? Here are a few reasons to consider why you may want a vintage wedding ring—and some tips on how to find the perfect one for you.

Your Ring Will Be Truly Unique

If having a truly unique wedding ring is of top importance to you, you really can’t go wrong with vintage. While the local jewelry store may only carry the currently popular styles, there are limitless options if you choose to buy a vintage ring. It’s not guaranteed that you won’t eventually run into a bride with a similar ring as yours, but it’s much more unlikely if you choose to buy your jewelry at an estate sale or an antique store. A vintage ring is the perfect statement for those brides who think of themselves as anything but ordinary or conventional.

Buying a Vintage Ring Is More Eco-Friendly

Although mining diamonds is generally less environmentally destructive than other types of mining, it still has led to soil erosion, deforestation, and forced local populations to relocate in areas where diamonds are mined. Buying a vintage ring means that you will be recycling an old ring and that no new mining will be required. So, a beautiful ring and contributing to less mining? That’s a win-win.

Vintage Rings are Typically Less Expensive

If the sticker shock of a new wedding ring is causing your anxiety to heighten, there’s a chance that going vintage might be a little easier on your bank account. You can typically expect to spend at least 30% less on a vintage engagement or wedding ring than if you were to go the traditional route. Retail jewelry is marked up, on average, between 253% to 336% so avoiding these retailers will likely save you a little money. There are exceptions, of course, and if you are after a really rare stone or a specific ring that is considered rare, this will increase the price.

Shopping for a Vintage Ring Is a Unique Experience

Shopping for a wedding ring is always an exciting excursion, but hunting for the perfect vintage one puts the experience over the top. Sure, you can just head to the mall and pick out the first one that catches your eye (and the one that fits into your budget), but a vintage ring will give you a better experience and a great story. If you don’t plan your shopping trip (or trips) out correctly, it can often feel like a wild goose chase, but if done right you’ll have a memorable adventure and a gorgeous ring.

Some Vintage Ring Shopping Tips

If you’ve decided that a vintage ring is for you, you’ll need a few strategy tips before you head out to the antique store or an estate sale.

Be Patient

Embarking on your vintage wedding ring hunt is going to require a lot of patience, and it’s not going to be an easy setup like at a traditional jewelry store. Depending on the antique store or estate sale, things will be scattered throughout several jewelry displays and it may be difficult to pinpoint exactly what you’re looking for. The important thing to remember is to be patient and ask for help from any associates who may be working.

Go to More than One Place

Just like any other important purchasing decision that you make, it’s crucial to go to more than one place when you are shopping for your vintage wedding ring. Go to a few different antique stores or hit up a few estate sales to determine a range of pricing as well as get a better idea of selection.

Don’t Have a Specific Idea in Mind

You may have a Pinterest page dedicated to your dream rings, but it’s better to go into the day with an open mind rather than have a specific idea of what you want. You never know what’s going to catch your eye or captivate you—and having a super specific idea could limit you in ways that you don’t realize. Go with the flow and see what you gravitate towards.

As it turns out, a diamond engagement ring can do more than just hurt your bank account—it can also potentially be the direct result of pain and suffering in a war-torn community. If you haven’t done much research on diamonds or even heard the term “blood diamond,” you might be surprised to learn that many diamonds have been mined in war zones and are then traded on the black market to fund warfare and rebel groups. Diamonds mined in these conditions are known as “conflict diamonds” and the miners often face terrible conditions such as violence, starvation, and disease. In the 1990s, many became aware of this huge problem due to a particularly brutal conflict in Sierra Leone. It’s estimated that during this time up to four percent of the world’s diamond production was made up of conflict diamonds.

Since then, human rights groups and the Kimberley Process—an agreement that formed in 2000 between governments, civil society, and industry leaders to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain—have halted much of the shipment of conflict diamonds. However, if you are in the market for an engagement ring, it’s always a good idea to ask the jeweler where they sourced the diamond and whether or not there is a certificate ensuring that it is 100% conflict-free.

If that hasn’t convinced you, here are five more reasons to wear a conflict-free engagement ring.

1. A Conflict-Free Diamond Engagement Ring Isn’t More Expensive

Some may assume that a conflict-free diamond comes with an extra cost, but this isn’t necessarily the case. It all starts by working with a jeweler you trust and know is sourcing their diamonds ethically. For example, Forevermark Diamonds, which are sold by diamond giant De Beers, are not the most expensive diamonds on the market, yet they all come with a guarantee that they were responsibly sourced.

Many couples who are especially concerned about ethically sourced diamonds might be interested in Canadian-mined diamonds, which all have been mined under rigorous human rights and environmental standards. These diamonds are generally more expensive than those that are mined in Africa, but this is one way to completely ensure that you are receiving a conflict-free diamond.

2. A Wedding Ring Is Supposed to be a Symbol of Love

It may sound a little cheesy, but an engagement ring is supposed to be a symbol of love and eternity between two people. A diamond that was unethically sourced or a diamond that someone may have had to suffer for may suddenly lose its symbolism of love. The very least you could do is take the extra steps needed to ensure that your diamond wasn’t one that was mined by someone who had to endure unfair or unsafe labor practices.

3. There Are Plenty of Other Stones Just as Beautiful

If the search for a truly conflict-free diamond gives you too much to think about or too much anxiety, there are plenty of other beautiful stones that you can choose from that are more eco-friendly and labor-friendly. For example, moissanite rings are made up of silicon carbonite, which is naturally occurring but can also be created in a lab setting, and look nearly identical to a diamond. Colored stones like amethyst or ruby can also be a good alternative to diamonds. Although these other gemstones can often have similar ethical issues to diamonds, it’s far easier to track their original sourcing.

4. You Can Easily Create a Stylish Recycled Wedding Ring

If you inherited a diamond ring from a family member and are unsure about its original sourcing, it’s easy enough for a jeweler to reconstruct or reset a ring to fit a new conflict-free stone. Not only will you have the original beautiful setting, but you’ll also know for sure that this new version of the ring is conflict-free. Plus, you’ll still have that antique to pass down through the family. Just because something started out unethical doesn’t mean that you can’t change its life course.

5. You’ll Feel Good About Your Choice of a Conflict-Free Ring

Above all, when you look down at your ring you want to be able to reflect on the love and happiness that it brings. If you’re uncertain of where your ring came from, who had to suffer because of it, or what players manipulated the obstacles in order to sell you a diamond that has been compromised, it can take away some of these feelings.

It’s much better at the end of the day that you know exactly where your engagement ring came from so that you are not contributing to a cycle of violence, poverty, and human rights violations. All it takes is a little bit of research on your end to know for certain that your ring is conflict-free.

In this modern era of weddings, the best way to communicate with all your wedding guests and tell them everything they need to know about your upcoming nuptials is the wedding website. While some brides and grooms opt to forego the wedding website, other couples use it for everything—including RSVPs and registry information.

While most wedding website builders offer the same types of features—an “about us” page, an RSVP feature, a wedding event schedule, a spot for your registries—there are some distinct differences that can set each of these wedding websites apart. So, how do you know which one to choose? We break down the pros and cons of the most popular wedding websites to help you decide and get started on your web copy.

WeddingWire

WeddingWire has been connecting local wedding vendors and engaged couples since 2005 as their primary business, but over the years they have introduced wedding planning tools such as the ability to create a website, create a wedding checklist, a guest list, and more.

Pros

• WeddingWire’s website builder is easy to use, even if you have zero to little knowledge on how to build a web page.
• It’s free to build a website on WeddingWire, and the only upgrade available to the wedding planner is the ability to purchase a custom domain for their website. (A couple can, however, choose a unique URL for the website.)
• You can link your wedding registry with a WeddingWire website.
• It’s easy to add information about accommodations for out-of-town guests, and you can even directly link to the websites for major hotels. You also have the ability to embed a widget from Airbnb events, which lets guests look at Airbnb reservations near the venues where your ceremony and reception will be held.

Cons

• As far as design goes, it’s a little limited. There aren’t many font options, and while there are many template designs to choose from, you don’t get a lot of design flexibility once you choose your particular template.

The Knot

Originally starting as a “portal” on AOL, now The Knot is a behemoth of the wedding industry, giving brides and grooms a whole bevy of articles, planning tools, and access to vendors. They also conduct research on weddings and publish several national and regional magazines.

Pros

• The wedding website builder is easy to use and a wedding website can be set up in just a few minutes by a person of any skill level.
• You can choose from hundreds of attractive templates, some of which look quite modern and sophisticated.
• There are a few features unique in the world of wedding websites, including The Newlywed Fund (a cash wedding registry that links directly to your bank account), the ability to link a charity registry (in lieu of a gift), and an activities section where you can put addresses and details for out-of-town guests looking to play tourist while they’re in town for the wedding.
• You can add photos with the use of an Instagram hashtag, which will aggregate directly to your wedding website.

Cons

• It’s an upcharge to personalize your wedding website URL, which is $19.99 for one year and $39.98 for two years.

Minted

The website Minted is a marketplace of artists and creators who primarily sell graphic design work, stationery, and artwork. They also have a specific wedding division where you can buy invitations, set up a wedding website, and buy wedding favors.

Pros

• With a Minted wedding website you can create a cohesive theme with your invitations (assuming you buy them on Minted.com).
• The designs are attractive, modern, and it’s unlikely that you won’t be able to find one that you like.
• Building the website is pretty intuitive, and it wouldn’t take you very long to set up.

Cons

• In order to post a photo gallery, you have to pay a one-time premium charge of $20. Unless you pay that amount, you can’t put any photos on the website except where it’s allowed on the main page.
• You don’t have the ability to create custom pages, so unless you upgrade you are only allowed the home, RSVP, events, wedding party, travel, and gift registry pages.

Joy

Joy is a company that exclusively offers an interface for couples to create a wedding website and a corresponding app. It’s completely free to use the website service and the app, and it also has the ability to import spreadsheets for guest lists and to manage RSVPs.

Pros

• We already mentioned that it’s completely free, but it’s worth mentioning again. Not only do you get free access to their website builder, but you also get the corresponding app for free as well.
• The designs are beautiful. These are by far the most modern, chic, and trendy wedding website designs out of all of the most popular wedding websites.
• With the app, you get the ability to have your guests share pictures, look at the wedding schedule, and even meet other guests.

Cons

• You can’t create a custom website URL.
• You can’t resize photos or change photo placement.

Once you get engaged, it’s only natural that you want to shout your excitement from the rooftops—or at least from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But how much sharing is too much during your wedding planning? Are there things you shouldn’t share at all on social media? Here’s six mistakes you may want to avoid when it comes to your engagement and social media.

1. Sharing Your Engagement on Social Media Before You Tell Close Friends and Family

One of the first social media faux pas you can make while wedding planning is to share a picture of your engagement ring before you make a call to your mom, your best friend, or send out a group text to all your closest pals. The last thing you want is for random classmates from college or someone you worked with two jobs ago to know about your upcoming wedding before the most important people in your life. Once you’ve shared the exciting info with all of the most important people, feel free to post that Boomerang of your sparkly new ring.

2. Posting About Every Wedding Appointment

When you’re planning a wedding, you will be heading to a lot of appointments to pick a venue, a caterer, a florist, a wedding cake baker, and maybe even a wedding planner. It might be tempting to share a quick post on Facebook or start a live feed when you are heading to yet another wedding planning appointment, but it’s best to spare your friends and family every little detail. Being excited is great—and expected—but oversharing on social media may make your friends and family a little disinterested when you have conversations about wedding planning with them in real life.

3. Spending too Much Time on Social Media

It’s easy to get distracted by social media—and in fact, we’re all guilty of this—but it’s especially easy to get distracted when we’re in the midst of planning a big event. When you’re in the middle of wedding planning, it’s not uncommon to spend hours scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest for wedding ideas and advice, but it’s a good idea to unplug every once in a while. Enjoy being engaged and be present for this moment in your life. Spend off-line time with your spouse-to-be and look forward to the future with them—sans social media.

4. Making Your Pinterest Boards Public

What did we ever do before Pinterest came into our lives? Once you’ve set the date (or let’s be real—before you even got engaged), you’ll want to start curating a Pinterest board that’s dedicated to all things wedding planning. But before you start pinning and coming up with some brilliant DIY ideas, don’t forget to set your Pinterest wedding board to secret. Not only will this prevent other brides from copying your vision, but it will also keep your guests out of the loop on what you’re planning. Trust us: you’ll want your guests to be surprised and wowed once they show up.

5. Posting Complaints about Wedding Planning on Social Media

Although planning a wedding and being engaged is a wonderful time in your life, it’s not without its stresses. You’re dealing with a lot: coordinating vendors, scheduling engagement photos, trying to achieve a good work/life/wedding planning balance, and learning to cope with new family members. It’s understandable that you’ll need to complain every now and then (okay, maybe you need to complain every day to your MOH). Whatever you do, don’t post your complaints on social media. Whether it’s your new mother-in-law, a vendor who is unresponsive, or a member of your wedding party that is driving you crazy, resist the temptation to vent about it online. Making your complaints public will only cause you further problems and invite unnecessary drama to deal with, and you’re busy enough as it is.

6. Forgetting to Tell Your Friends What to Share and What not to Share

As you’re planning your wedding, you’ll be relying on a whole team of support to get you through every single decision and to share in the exciting moments, like picking out the dress. This team of support will be just as excited as you are about your upcoming nuptials, and they may even want to share this excitement in a social media post—but before they even get a chance to share, it’s important that you’re direct about what you want posted and what you don’t.

For example, you may be cool with friends and family members sharing pictures of you while you’re shopping for your wedding gown, but you may also want to keep that heavily under wraps. And that’s totally okay. You may also want to be very careful on what you share from your bachelorette party—because your boss doesn’t necessarily need to see you drinking out of a cup shaped like that.

Whatever you want shared and whatever you don’t, just be honest with your friends and family so that there are no social media surprises down the road.

There are plenty of reasons to get married at the courthouse—you’re on a tight budget, your spouse-to-be is in the military, or the two of you are about to buy a house—but just because your wedding will be low-key doesn’t mean that it’s still not a reason to celebrate! If you plan on saying “I do” at the courthouse, there are many ways to make it a special occasion. After all, no matter the venue or the time it takes to plan, it’s not every day that you get married!

Planning on a courthouse wedding? Here are seven ways to make the day feel more special.

1. Send Out Invitations

Getting married at the courthouse doesn’t mean that you can’t have any guests present (unless of course you prefer to get married solo). If you have the time, let your guests know about your courthouse wedding the old-fashioned way—with a stamped and sealed invitation.

2. Pamper Yourself/Get Your Hair Done

Don’t let the metal detectors and the humdrum setting of the courthouse make you feel like you can’t look absolutely glamorous. Before your wedding ceremony, take the opportunity to get pampered and dolled up. Because you don’t have a wedding planner breathing down your neck or a wedding party to corral, you’ll have plenty of time to take for yourself before it’s time to walk down the aisle. So set up a hair appointment, schedule a professional makeup session, or simply take time to relax, breathe, and maybe have a mimosa or two with your closest friends. It’s your wedding day!

3. Wear White

You may not be wearing a gown with a long train and all of the other bells and whistles, but wearing white will certainly make you feel more bridal. Having a special outfit for the big day will set it apart from any other dressy occasion. You can even add in a veil if you please—it’s your day!

4. Buy Flowers

Flowers are an essential at every wedding, so why should your courthouse wedding be any different? Pick out a bridal bouquet at your local florist, or do something whimsical and romantic like pick a bunch of wildflowers together before you head to the courthouse. While you probably can’t sprinkle rose petals down the makeshift aisle in the courthouse, you can still have a pop of color with a bridal bouquet or a boutonnière.

5. Hire a Photographer

Just like any other momentous occasion in your life, it’s nice to have photos to share with your friends and family—even if there won’t be a huge ceremony and reception. Hire a professional photographer for the day to snap photos of every glance, every kiss, and the way you look at each other when you say your vows. Depending on how long you’ve booked them, you can also take the opportunity to take some wedding photos after the ceremony. Since the courthouse is usually located right downtown, your photographer can capture the two of you with the city in the background or you can head to a nearby park and pose for some pictures out in the sunshine.

6. Have a Reception

The ceremony is what seals the deal, but the reception is the fun part of the wedding where you can relax and have a toast (or two). Having a small courthouse wedding doesn’t mean that you have to go straight home afterwards. Take the time to bask in your newlywed bliss with a killer reception following the ceremony. Whether it’s reserving a room at your favorite restaurant, grabbing a few cocktails at a nearby lounge, or heading over to your parents’ house for a big potluck, you more than deserve a chance to celebrate.

Some couples choose to postpone their wedding reception to a bit later when they can have a large gathering with friends and family, but that still doesn’t mean that you should skip out on the celebration. At the very least, you should be opening up a bottle of champagne at a beautiful restaurant right after the ceremony.

7. Have a Send-Off

If you and your newly minted spouse will be off to a honeymoon right away (or you’ll at least be staying in a hotel for the wedding night), then you should have a proper send-off. Whether you want to use sparklers, flowers, or bubbles, make sure that your guests send you off to married life in style. Don’t forget to have the photographer capture the moments!

Not everyone dreams of a big wedding. Whether it’s avoiding the ever-growing cost of hosting a wedding or preferring a no-pressure ceremony, some couples would rather go the elopement route. For some, an intimate ceremony officiated by a justice of the peace at the courthouse (or maybe a quickie wedding in Vegas with an Elvis impersonator) is simply enough. One of the joys of having a larger ceremony, however, is inviting all of your friends and family to join in on the celebration. So if you choose to elope, does it really mean that you can’t invite anyone? If you’re thinking about an elopement, here are a few things to consider before you start doling out invitations.

Keep the Guest List Small

Although the old-school way to elope is to head off somewhere in secrecy and roll back into town sporting a wedding ring, many modern couples who elope will invite a few friends or their parents and siblings to come to the ceremony. It’s absolutely okay if you want to invite a select crowd to attend your wedding—especially if you’re choosing to get married in a tropical location or another beautiful destination that you’d like to share with your closest friends and family. In fact, many couples will elect to have their wedding be the kick-off to a vacation with the whole crew. However, if you do decide to invite people to your wedding, it’s best to keep it small. Remember the reason why you are likely choosing to elope: you want the ceremony to be more about the two of you and less about the big hoopla of a modern wedding.

Know That You Have to Draw the Line Somewhere

The difficult thing about inviting guests to your elopement is that you have to pick and choose who is invited—and who is not. How exactly do you draw the line? Do you choose to invite the friends whom you know the best? Or do you elect to invite your childhood friends who have seen you through everything? Or do you maybe just stick to inviting close family?

There aren’t any hard or fast rules for inviting people to your elopement, but a general rule of thumb is to keep it at 12 guests or less. Any more than 12 and you’re getting into the territory of a bigger ceremony—which is what you didn’t want in the first place. As you’re deciding who to invite, go through your list together. If the two of you are on the fence about someone, it’s best to nix them from the list. It may be brutal, but you’ll end up having more guests than what you originally planned if you have a whole pile of “maybes.”

There Might Be Some Hurt Feelings

When there is a ring and a date involved, some relatives and friends may just assume that there will be an invitation arriving to their doorstep about three months before the big day. Unless you go the traditional route of eloping without telling anyone, some will be slightly taken aback by your decision to only invite a select few people rather than have a big ceremony. Unfortunately, that is just going to be one of the huge downsides of opting for a smaller wedding.

The best way to combat this up front is to be honest with your friends and family. Explain how important it is that they are involved in your lives, but let them know you’ve chosen to have a more intimate ceremony instead of a large wedding. If you are planning on hiring a photographer, be sure to send friends and family a copy of your wedding ceremony photographs and maybe even a video of the two of you exchanging vows. Whatever you do, don’t send out a registry list to those friends and family members who were not invited to the ceremony. This is not a great look and won’t win you any favors.

Plan a Reception Later On

Whatever the reason you have for eloping—money, timing, etc.—there’s no reason why you can’t have the best of both worlds: a small, intimate ceremony and a big wedding reception. Many couples who elope choose to have a low-key party with all their friends and family after their wedding in order to make their loved ones feel a part of the celebration.

With a reception after-the-fact, you don’t have to worry about hiring a DJ (just hook up a speaker with a playlist of Spotify tunes) and you don’t have to worry about ordering a wedding cake (potluck dessert table anyone?). All you have to do is be present with all your loved ones and enjoy celebrating this really momentous occasion. Plus, there aren’t any rules that say couples who elope have to skip the cocktail party.