How to Plan Your Cheap Wedding!

Winter wedding ideas!

Love is the air...despite the sub-zero temperatures most of the country has been enduring lately;) Winter weddings are going to be popping up this season and I'd like to devote a blog post to help anyone trying to plan an elegant sophisticated winter wedding on a budget:)

#1 Show you guests the silverlining: Subtle color schemes are an easy way to show off at you winter wedding! White on white color schemes always look elegant. Add in silver or gold accents and you have a beautiful backdrop for your wedding. You can even design your e-invitations with silver or gold accents. Even Fergie and Josh Duhamel's recent winter wedding went green by sending out top secret e-invites for their nuptials;)

#2 Nothing says winter like a little ice: Have some extra change to impress with? Invest in a breathtaking ice sculpture for your buffet line!

#3 Petal power: While I love the idea of calli lilies, white peonies, and daisies, if you already have a white color scheme a good way to add color is with bright flowers like the ever popular red roses, purple lilacs, and blue hyacinths.

#4 Bring on the mocha: Want a good idea for cute, inexpensive gifts for your guests wedding favors? Make little packages of hot chocolate to go! All it takes is chocolate power, some mini marshmallows, cinnamon, and a cute bow to wrap it together! Bon appetite!

What am I missing? Does anyone have any ideas they used for their own wedding? Or ideas from friends weddings? Post below...:D

Wedding bailout?

If only the wedding industry could get a bailout of their own... or at least a stimulus plan be implemented for all the brides out there trying to plan an elegant yet affordable wedding. Here's the thing ladies, we have a tool that brides ten years ago didn't necessarily have at their fingertips: the Internet! The Internet alone can make planning a wedding in a sluggish economy that much easier!

Here are some quick tips for planning a wedding amidst crashing stock markets:

1. Ask for help: Mom and Dad have been there for you all your life, right? While it isn't theirjob to fund your entire wedding as it was in the 18th century, it may be a possibility that they can help out with one area of the wedding as a whole. For example, securing a venue for the wedding could be their contribution--even if that venue is their farmland in Iowa or summer home in Arizona.
2. Got Talent?: If your friends have special talents, don't ask them to buy you something off the registry, ask for their trades as a gift. Imagine the possibilities: Free makeup and hair, wedding photos, wedding cake, even designing the decor could be a piece of cake with the help of some fab friends;)
3. E-cards for all: Paper invites are traditional and can be instrumental in setting the tone for your wedding, however we live in a cyber society and e-invites are much easier--and cheaper-- to send out to friends and family. Many sites cater to designing wedding invitations at affordable prices while still keeping style a priority. Ditto goes for the "Thank You" cards after the wedding...
4. Along the same vein: Wedding programs and menus can be designed and printed from home which can save hundreds of dollars alone!

Got more money-saving ideas? Post below..:)

Per Brides.com: How to be a Zen bride!

I love any differing views on how to look at traditional experiences (such as weddings) and brides.com has composed an article that I think any bride-to-be can take a few notes from. It's titled "How to be a Buddha bride" and gives ten principles every bride can use to make her wedding experience as serene as possible;) Enjoy:

1. I will be mindful and reverential with all life
Consider kindness a way of being. It's an expression of your love and compassion for others, including the florist who's got three other weddings to contend with on the day you marry and the girlfriends who give up their lunch hours to help you hunt for place-card holders.

2. I will respect others’ property; I will not steal
Others' property includes their time and energy. Asking your friends to help you out with, say, making the favors, is okay; expecting them to be available 24/7 is not. Certainly, your buddies are happy for you, but remember that the wedding is your top priority, not theirs.

3. I will be conscious and loving in my sexual relationship
Sex is about intimacy and trust between two people. It's not about manipulation. (For example, seducing your fiancé to get what you want — the big-band orchestra, the deluxe photo package, the Aspen honeymoon).

4. I will honor honesty and truth; I will not deceive
Your beau wants a wedding at city hall; you've always dreamed of exchanging vows in a church. If you say, “Whatever you want, honey,” but resent it for all eternity, you're cheating both of you. Tell him what's in your heart. You may have to work out a compromise, but it will be an honest one.

5. I will exercise proper care of my mind and body; I will not overindulge in anything
It's all fun, fun, fun — showers, bachelorette parties — with lots of temptations (food, drink, cute bartenders). But if you want to fit into your dress, don't want a hangover, and most of all, want to be able to face yourself in the morning, employ some moderation.

6. I will remember that silence is precious; I will not gossip or engage in frivolous conversation
Even if one of your bridesmaids is behaving badly (refusing to show up for fittings, criticizing your decisions), don't talk about her behind her back. Try to find out what's really bothering her and work around her problem.

7. I will be humble; I will not praise myself and judge others
By getting married, you're becoming part of a big celebration and joining an even bigger family — his. Family members have faults, and even if you can't accept those flaws, accepting the family will make yours a better marriage.

8. I will be generous in the giving of wealth
As all those registry gifts begin to arrive, think of others less fortunate than you by donating your current housewares (coffeemaker, toaster) still in good condition to a thrift shop or charity. Check to see if your reception leftovers can be delivered to a food bank, the flowers to a hospice.

9. I will keep my mind calm and at peace and not give way to anger
Meditate on this: It's not all going to go perfectly. Know that on your wedding day you won't be able to control the weather, traffic delays, or your sister's mood swings. Fretting today won't fix a potential problem tomorrow. Let it go.

10. I will not lose sight of the truth
A wedding is a joyous occasion, but it's not just about having the party of a lifetime. Don't let the planning get in the way of the day's real purpose: to join your life with his.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/25972548/

Wedding Trend Watch: Green Weddings

In an increasingly earth-conscious society (thank heavens), what is a modern bride to do when deciding to incorporate green concepts into her wedding? And on a budget no less?! Well, the good news is that it's easier than you think to make your ceremony a little more eco-friendly while still maintaining a reasonable budget! Here are a few tips:

• Start at the beginning: make a choice to invest in recycled gold wedding bands and if possible conflict-free diamonds.
• Paper basics: choose to use recycled paper to print your invites and wedding programs on. 
• Eco-dresses: your wedding dress can make less of a negative impact on the environment when it's made form all natural materials such as cotton and silk.
• Natural food goodness: Use organic foods and free-range livestock for your guests entrees;)
• Give back: give guests an option to donate to the charity of your choice instead of buying a wedding gift.
• Believe it or not: There are eco-friendly resorts in numerous places that could be possible honeymoon spots for you and your honey!

What am I forgetting? Leave me some suggestions/comments below!

How to include divorced parents in your wedding ceremony

Hey all! I found a great article at: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24955673/?GT1=43001 that covers wedding etiquette on including divorced parents in your wedding ceremony. Topics the article covers include:

• what to do when you have to choose between your bio dad and step-dad walking you down the aisle
• how to write wedding invitations when you and your groom have two sets of parents
• how to seat divorced parents at your wedding when they can't be civil with one another

...and tons more! Check it out and let me know what you think! 

Wedding Photo Frenzy!

So I'm definitely convinced that one of the sweetest and most inexpensive additions to a wedding is the video photo showcase that some couples add to their wedding's reception! Not all couples take advantage of this opportunity to show their guests their humorous sides by adding funny childhood photos leading up to pictures of the happy couple in the present day. Every wedding I've attended that's had this addition in it has seen it go off without a hitch and engage their guests in a positive way by inviting them into the couple's personal world in the past and present. You could even add a theme to the showcase if you wanted and/or add background music to it which will only add to the hilarity of the presentation;) I mean, think of the possibilities: adding old school music like 'Parents just don't understand' by the Fresh Prince during the childhood pictures slides, then later segueing into 'I'm a Believer' by the Monkees when the couple's photos begin, etc. 

***Wedding photo savings tip: Hire a professional photographer only for the wedding party photos and the ceremony itself. For the reception, add disposable cameras to each table's centerpiece with a note asking your guests to help save the memories of your reception by becoming freelance photographers for the night:)

Better yet, after the ceremony is over and you get the pictures back from the wedding and the reception, it'd be ideal to be able to put those photos together into a video showcase of their own for future viewing (or perhaps to send to family and friends who weren't able to make it to the wedding). And then there's the honeymoon photos and anniversary photos... My point is I'd definitely look into getting a video photo slide program for your events that deserve a polished, professional look for those times when you're traveling down memory lane or showing off to new neighbors (lol) and don't necessarily want to whip out a large, dusty photo album on your bookshelf that rarely gets attention. The best and cheapest program I've found on the Internet is called the Video Showcase Creator. The've got samples up of what their program can do on Youtube along with testimonials and all that jazz. It looks really good and only costs about as much as dinner at Olive Garden for you and your honey;) Check it out here:   

Click Here!

The simple plan

Hey guys! So, now you've planned the perfect wedding shower and it's come down to the actual nitty-gritty of wedding planning. The whole shebang, if you will. Things we'll have to cover in the next posts will be wedding invites, decorations, receptions, vows, mc speeches, and the honeymoon. I figured before I went into each category separately that I would start with the big picture in mind which is: saving money! After all, this is planyourcheap wedding.com, right?;)...