Alrighty!  You're getting ready for your wedding and are getting your wedding invitations in order... that's great!  But now.... what is the correct RSVP wording to put on the reply card inside your invitations?

Thankfully, there isn't some standard "right" wording to be used for RSVPs so that frees you up to be a little creative and maybe come up with some unique ideas of your own.

Here is some simple standard RSVP wording:

The favor of a reply is requested by June 15, 2013.

M_______________________

___Accepts with pleasure

___Declines with regrets

That's about it.

Or here's another wording example that is even more simple and straight-forward:

Please Reply By June 30, 2013.

Name __________________________________
Number Attending ________

These days I would strongly recommend adding your phone number and your email address.  Let's face it, most folks don't return those RSVP cards, but if they can easily send you an email or make a quick call, you're more likely to get an accurate head count for your wedding day.

Don't overlook Facebook either!  You can create an "event" from your Facebook account and invite people that way as well.  People simply click to say they're coming or not.  Easy peasy!

Unless you're having a very formal wedding, RSVP cards simply aren't needed - and frankly, many folks can't stand them.

In this day and age, doing as much as you can online is both easier AND can save you a bunch of time and headaches.

Check out this recent post we did about online wedding invitations.

According to this article over at Slate.com, online wedding invitations are better than old fashioned paper/snail mail invitations AND they're better, and more efficient for handling RSVPs as well.

Yep, I'm talking online "e-vites" where your wedding invitations are sent by email and then your guests can RSVP by email as well.

What do you think - Tacky?  Or perfectly ok?

...it’s certainly true that there are many people who still believe online invitations are tacky and unbecoming of a high-class affair. The etiquette doyenne Peggy Post maintains that electronic wedding invitations “might fit the bill for an informal wedding,” but are “not the best match for a formal one.”

Personally, I think I like the idea - and WOW at the money you could save!

According to this article over at CBSnews.com, the average engaged couple registers for 153 items and registers for everything from a mixer to a canoe (yes, a CANOE!).

When registering for your wedding gifts and shower gifts, it's easy to get distracted by all the cool things you wish you had - and overlook the things you really NEED.

Starting a new life, and new household, together is not cheap so try and register for those things you really do need and will use on a daily basic.

Sure, the canoe idea is cool, but is that something you really NEED?  I'm not thinking so (no matter what your groom says...lol!).

One good tip is to walk through your kitchen and ask yourself what you need.  A really great knife set is a good example of something you will need AND use virtually everyday.

Also, it's possible you have hand-me-down stuff in your kitchen and you'd really like new versions of it.  Register for those things as well.

One item that is over-looked is a grill.  Yep, an outside grill.  This is something that a newly married couple may not be able to afford right away, but will LOVE having one.

If "things" aren't what you need, but money IS, don't be afraid to say so. Money towards your wedding costs, or honeymoon, or new house...or even to pay down student loans is totally ok and acceptable.

Your guest WANT to give you gifts that you need, will use, and will truly appreciate so don't be shy about it.

So, you're planning your wedding and you simply don't have a ton of money to spend.

That's all good - TONS of couples are in the same position!

But now it's time to plan for the food you'll serve at your wedding reception and well, you're a bit freaked out by the costs of catering.

Oh, honey, I HEAR ya loud and clear - its EXPENSIVE!

Let's talk about some ways to save on your food for your wedding and still wow your guests... and yourself  😉

Above all, remember that it's not the FOOD that makes the wedding great - it's the couple getting married.

On a Tight Budget? 5 Tips To Save On Your Wedding Food

1.  First off, keep in mind the TIME of your wedding.  If your reception falls around a normal meal time, folks will be hungry AND expect to have a sit down MEAL.

A wedding reception around 3 pm is between meals so you can get away with a buffet full of finger foods and everyone will be happy.

2.  Cooking the food yourself?  Getting help from family and friends?  That's great!

Look to your local shopping clubs like Sams and CostCo - they sell in bulk and you can save a ton.  Also, don't shy away from pasta-based dishes, they are cheap to make and most everyone loves pasta!

3.  New local restaurant in town?  Hit them up for a deal!

Many new restaurants are dying to get their foot in the door for the catering side of their business.  Tell them you'll help spread the word, let them share business info, etc if they cut you a sweet deal on your wedding food.

4.  Sliced Spiral Ham - It's not just for Easter!

Know all those family get togethers with the spiral ham and casseroles?  Yep, everyone loves those meals...and so will your wedding guests!

5.  BBQ it!

Everyone loves a spread on BBQ and the tasty side dishes that go with it.  Best part is that this is usually pretty cheap for a caterer to do FOR you.  It is YOUR day after all, so don't go TOO cheap on the food part and consider finding someway to get someone to handle all that FOR you (and no, NOT your mom - it's her day too...let her enjoy the years of raising you without cooking for you on THIS day).

Need to know how to break down your wedding budget into a very workable TIGHT budget?  Read this post.

Oh wow, this HAS to be the best wedding picture EVER!  Check out this picture of a T-Rex chasing down this wedding party... just awesome!

I just read about this dinosaur wedding photo over on HuffingtonPost.com and just had to share it.

The photo was posted on Quinn Miller photography's Facebook page...and it has gone totally viral.

The funniest part of all is that the couple is on their honeymoon and has no clue how much worldwide attention their wedding photo is getting!

Obviously, that isn't a real dinosaur chasing the bride, groom, and the entire wedding party... it's just PhotoShopped in.  Turns out the groom is a big dinosaur fan so the photographer thought this would be a fun idea.

I'm thinking he was right!

Wedding flowers, bouquets, and centerpieces can be VERY expensive when you go through a florist.  It's easy to drop a couple grand on those flowers...and they are only meant for ONE DAY.

Here's a great idea for those that are on a budget and have a tad bit of "crafty" in them.

Instead of ordering your flowers from a florist, order them from a local greenhouse.  Then, go to a craft store like Michaels or JoAnns and take one of their free floral arrangement classes with your bride's maids.

The class will be fun AND free... AND you have free help when it comes times to arrange your flowers for your wedding yourself.

Sure, it will be some extra work, but it will save a ton of money that you can use for other wedding planning ideas.

When it comes to planning a low-cost "budget wedding", what kind of dollar amount do YOU think that means?

If we put the "rich and famous" aside for this conversation (as we should since they can pay MILLIONS of dollars for their weddings), we can get to what 'real people' spend on their weddings.

According to this wedding budget chart, the average American couple spends about $29,000 on their wedding.

Ladies and gentlemen, that is a LOT of money!

Yes, your wedding is a VERY special day, but do you really want to spend THAT much money on it?  What about having money like that for the days when you're actually married (buying a house, taking a trip, savings, etc, etc, etc)?

To me, $29k on a wedding is NOT a "budget wedding" at all.

I would say that a budget of $5,000 or less would be considered a "budget wedding" budget.

You can do a lot and have an amazing wedding with 5 thousand dollars.  Heck, you can have a great wedding day with only $1,000 if you're really careful and pick and choose what is REALLY important to you.