As I'm getting ready to send out invitations, a piece of me wishes I had cut the guest list a little more. Another part of me wishes I had just rented a bigger place because it's not worth the hassle.

On thing I have noticed, is that the old rules of etiquette do not seem to apply any longer. Growing up, my mother always told me, if the invitation is not addressed to you, you're not invited. Hence, if a wedding invitation arrived addressed to "Mr. and Mrs.," then us kids didn't go. If an inivitation was addressed to "Mr. and Mrs. and family," then it was a free-for-all.

As I have previously mentioned, I cut children and "and guest" from the inivitation list before sending out my save the dates. As such, I've had people casually mention bringing their children, wonder aloud who they should bring as their date or ask if I intend to invite children.

All in all, it's an uncomfortable situation. And I can't help but wonder: Am I the only one who has ever heard of this rule?

No, I'm not. A close friend agreed with me that how the invitation is addressed says it all. Being right isn't much comfort though, when you don't know how to tell people they can't bring their children.

Would you try to fit the extra people or would you say something? Post a comment and give me some much needed advice! 

Today, I learned that two co-workers have become engaged to each other. We were all full of congratulations and goodwill. The bride smiled, the groom blushed.

And I became one of THOSE brides.

When I first got engaged, I realized suddenly everyone had to tell me about their wedding. Ask if you should go with the blue or white napkin, and you'll get back, "I remember when I got married, we had red napkins. And Uncle Phil started waving it at the kids and started a faux bullfight. One of the kids ran into a waiter, who spilled the main course down Cousin Ruth's dress. So I wouldn't go with a red napkin."

Okay . . . . 

Never really understood the impulse. And I have to say, I still don't really get it. Nonetheless, I heard myself say, amid the congratulations, "When Ed proposed to me . . . ."

I couldn't stop myself. My mouth took on a life of its own. Despite the fact that my brain was screaming, "Shut up!! SHUT UP!!!" my mouth still kept going. I wanted her to enjoy the attention and celebration aimed in her direction. Yet, somehow, for lack of nothing to say, other than congratulations, I began prattling.

So if you're newly engaged, try to be patient when someone comes up to you and starts talking about their own wedding, even though their children are in high school.

You can't help it. Sometimes we all have dirrhea of the mouth. 

Before Ed and I bought a house, I spend hours online researching home prices, market values, mortgage rates, etc.

The same can not be said for my bridal gown. Don't get me wrong. I spent lots of time researching different styles, fabrics and looks, but the woman who is sewing my gown -- not at all. I was just happy to have found her.

I lucked out. Deb has bought the fabric I requested, show it to me and is busy working on my gown. But a recent article in The Boston Herald was a wake-up call that I left myself wide open for some sort of fraud. I've also heard of wedding photographers who collect the cash and never deliver the photos.

While the Internet is a great source for undiscovered vendors who may provide more reasonable prices, beware that you don't get taken for a ride. Ask everyone for references. Check to see if there are complaints against the company by googling their names and contacting the Better Business Bureau. If you're still not sure, pay a little extra and go with someone a friend used and was happy with.

There's a bridal show coming up in Amesbury, Mass., this weekend. Even though it's a bit far away, if you've got nothing to do this weekend, go check it out. The bridal shows give you a chance to look at some of the new trends and get some ideas for your own wedding -- plus there's usually tons of freebies!

You may have noticed that I've been out of the blogosphere this week. I'm not neglecting you my faithful readers (mom); it's been a crazy week in the lives of Ed and Donna.

First up, Ed and I bought a house last week. Yippee! Of course, that means packing, moving, cleaning, yardwork, etc. We lived in an apartment before -- which can be kind of like living with your parents -- the grass gets mowed, but you have no idea how it happens.

So this is our first house. At least, we think we own it. We signed a lot of paperwork, but someone else is still living there. They're hanging out while they're waiting for their house to open up. And so a butterfly flaps its wings . . .

On top of that, I've been named the new Encore editor here at The Telegraph. Yippee! So I started that job this week. So in between, packing and learning a new job, I haven't had much time to plan my wedding . . . or blog about how I haven't had much time to plan my wedding.

Anyhow, in wedding world, things are still moving forward. Ed and I are trying to nail down a place to have our reception dinner and, because it's a destination wedding of sorts, we're inviting all of our guests who will be in town the night before the wedding to the rehearsal dinner. So we're having a hard time finding a place that can fit such a large party without it actually being a full-on function. As a result, we can't order invitations, since we're announcing the rehearsal dinner along with the reception in said invitations.

Hopefully, all will get sorted out next week. I'll keep you updated (mom) and I promise, I'll be blogging more next week . . . at least I hope so.

Enjoy you weekend with some wedding fun!