Good brides focus on guests

In their race to get down the aisle, many brides fall victim to the pressure of having wedding-day activities primarily focused on them. Sometimes they are so wrapped up in themselves that they can forget about their guests.

Gwen Willhite, founder of Cookies By Design(R), says it is possible for a bride to focus both on herself and her guests, yet keep her day special and everyone else happy at the same time. Here are her suggestions.

Decor-eat. You can't escape the need to dress up your reception site, but you can make it "favor" your guests instead of just looking like it's part of your wedding day aesthetics. Consider using hand-decorated Cookies by Design cookies as place cards. Instead of flowers, use a cookie bouquet as a centerpiece. These edible decorations, available online at www.cookiesbydesign.com, cost the same as flowers and can actually double as favors. Your site will look great and the gifts will not just collect dust after guests have taken them home.

Prioritize your skimping. How many people have ever gone to a wedding where the bride looked gorgeous in a designer gown but the food consisted of barely consumable items? While everyone has the right to look like a fairy-tale princess for her wedding, blowing your budget on your dress while making your guests (i.e. ,friends, family and gift givers ) go hungry or feel unsatisfied does not spell happy wedding memories for everyone. Forego that pricey extra layer of lace on your veils so your guests can have that first course and everyone will leave the wedding smiling.

Sweeten the pot.

Many of your close friends and attendants are probably going to be heavily involved with every aspect of your wedding. The marathon of events — engagement party, bridesmaid luncheon, bridal shower, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, and wedding — is likely to wear them out, physically and emotionally.

To thank them for sacrificing their time and effort, and to rejuvenate them, offer sweet incentives.

Provide gourmet cookies in the bridesmaids' dressing room, offer to pamper them for a night, send their invitations (aka schedules) on cookies, and don't make them endure your pre-wedding diet just because they're involved. As a woman once said, "Let them eat cake."

Staying focused on your guests and not just yourself can make your day special and memorable for everyone involved. With full bellies and a little sweet treatment, they'll be more likely to let you entertain them in the future with that fabulous new china!

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