Buy a suit (my tip): Your groomsmen can rent, but do you want to spend your wedding day in pants that some kid could have been wearing to prom the weekend prior? If you go for a suit, rather than a tux, you'll have an outfit you can wear more than once. How many other times do you have an excuse to drop a few hundred bucks on a nice tailored suit?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
What GUYS need for Wedding Tips
Talk about your bachelor/bachelorette party plans (her tip): Don't try to hide the fact that you and your buddies are going to The Lumberyard - she'll be able to smell the stripper perfume. We planned our parties for the same night, which made it easy to get a combo deal on two limos.
Become psychic (her tip): My wife suggests doing everything the bride says to do, but to also anticipate things she hasn't said yet. And sometimes you just need to know when to get out the way. There will be bridezilla moments, but taking care of a big chore before she asks ("I addressed all the invitations, honey.") could help defuse them.
Book the rehearsal dinner (my tip): This is traditionally something the groom does, anyway. Find a restaurant that means a lot to both of you and call them as soon as possible. Many restaurants have spaces for dinners like this, but they often book months in advance. We initially tried for Centro, but they were already booked, so we went with Django.
Book the honeymoon (her tip): This is another duty grooms normally handle. I suggest going all-inclusive, because not having to think about money for a week is nice. For a honeymoon, you'll probably want to go somewhere that doesn't allow kids, but be careful to check what "adults only" means. You don't want to spend the week surrounded by swingers. We went to Cancun and spent a week eating awesome meals and drinking all we wanted. We'll be paying for it for years, but the week itself was priceless.
Don't get your haircut right before the wedding (her tip): The bride will probably be in the salon the day of the ceremony, but guys should get their hair cut a week before the wedding. That gives your hair time to grow out a bit and lets you get used to styling it.
Speak up! (her tip): If you want to be involved in the decision process, let her know. What the bride says will normally go, but if something is really important to you make sure that is known. And if you can do it before planning gets too crazy, that always helps.
Brides Tips from their wedding and how they did it on a $10,000 budget
One woman's story-- A wedding Q&A
Yakima Herald-Republic
She answered the following questions for the Herald-Republic about what she's doing to keep her wedding budget intact.
Q: What is your wedding budget? Can you explain how you organized it?
A: My budget is about $10,000, it's a loose number. I say loosely because that is (how much) my parents can help me. Kyle (Kadee's fiance) is still finishing up his master's (degree). We will see how much we save.
We tried one of those budget forms, but they're really general. I'm not the best at the budget, but I'm making sure (to track) what I'm spending, where I'm spending and what I have left to pay for.
Q: How are you paying for it? What tips would you recommend in working with parents/relatives/etc. who may be willing to help you pay for it?
A: (My parents) knew it was coming. We have been engaged for two years. We decided to have a long engagement because of cost.
We had to talk to them about budget. They approached us and said 'We'll help you and this is what we can do.' We really just had to make sure when they're giving that much money that we have taken the things they want to see into account.
We've butted heads. That's going to come if a bride and groom (are) getting their main source of money from a relative. They're going to have a lot of say.
But they've help me stay grounded.
Q: How have your parents help you stay grounded?
A: I'm really big into photography. That's something I want to splurge on. Not that it's not important to my parents, but they think it's not worth splurging on things that will go into a drawer. It's a difference of opinion.
When I started looking at photographers, I wanted the best photographer, a 10-grand photographer. They had to say, 'We can't. That's our budget. We can't put all that in one area.' That's one of the first things we butted heads and disagreed on.
We ended up finding a photographer at a price we both liked. Ours is about $1,500. We found someone we were happy with at a price we can both live with.
Q: What are some tips you would share about saving with vendors?
A: You have to know what things should cost in the area (of the wedding) before you can go out and meet with people. If you don't have an idea of what things should cost, you can be taken advantage of.
The second thing is doing a lot of interviews. If you're meeting with three or four vendors, you have an idea of what things they offer. It takes time to meet with people, to give them a call but it helps to know what your options are and helps you weigh what is best for you.
Q: Are there any ways that blogging about the wedding process has helped you in saving money or being smart with your budget?
A: It forced me to do research and find other outlets of information to share with my readers. I wanted to be as accurate as possible with them, which caused me to do (more) research, which I might not have done on my own.
I have found other bridal blogs on how they kept their wedding under a budget and how they did it. Blogs are a good resource because they're coming straight from the person, straight from their mouth. They're talking about their real experience. There are so many resources they share with you. It's finding those outlets that have helped me.
I'd have had brides ask me questions, such as 'Can you do centerpieces on a budget?' It's something I might have not though about on my own. I'm doing the research for them, and it's helping me to find more avenues to save or more information that I wouldn't have researched in the first place on my own.
Q: What money saving tips have you learned from others you've encountered in writing your blog?
There's a lot of DIY (do-it-yourself) in the wedding industry. They just have a lot of tutorials on making your own centerpieces, your bouquet, even your own invites. If you have the time, it can really help your wallet.
There are coupons on the Web for Michael's and JoAnn's (Fabrics). There are programs where you can earn (discounts). It's those little things like getting 10 percent off or 20 percent back that can make a difference.
Q: Any other money-saving wedding tips?
A: A lot of people know people who got married recently. Seek those people as a resource and ask their advice and ask how they did things. You can also ask if they have things you can use for the wedding.
Slash your wedding's floral budget
Make it look like you splurge when you really save
Updated: Monday, 08 Feb 2010, 7:31 AM EST
Published : Monday, 08 Feb 2010, 7:31 AM EST
Do you know how to make it look like you splurged on your wedding, when your really saved?
Last week, News 4's Melissa Holmes gave you tips from the experts for saving on the reception. Now, how to slash the floral budget.
Beautiful floral bouquets and centerpieces can blow you away, but they can also blow your budget.
"It's a lot more than I thought it would be," said Carly Swanick.For the rest of the article : Click HERE!
Feb 9th Wedding Tip
Top Wedding Trends for 2010:
- Screw the Trends - Be Yourself
- Bright Color, Black Backdrop
- Earth-friendly “I Do’s”
- Groomed for Success
- Everything Old is New Again
- You Can Go Home Again
- Mix and Mingle
- Return to Romance
- Food You Can Eat
- iDo
The top wedding trend for 2010 is personalization. Instead of a cookie-cutter ceremony and reception, the new focus is on customizing the big day for the bride, groom and wedding party. Do you and your future hubby share a special hobby? Whether it’s exotic travel or tennis, find a way to make your passions part of the celebration. Also, the emphasis on individual style includes your bridesmaids. Instead of clones wearing the same dress, shoes and identical updos, try picking a color scheme and giving each bridesmaid the opportunity to choose a dress that shows her personality… and complements yours.
For the latest wedding look, the only thing white should be the bride’s wedding dress. Black accents and bright, bold colors are in, for everything from bridesmaid dresses to flowers to table linens. However, if you want a timeless dress for your bridal party, you can always do classic black with vibrant accessories and bouquets.
You can have a sustainable love and a sustainable wedding. Eco-conscious nuptials are all the rage, featuring pre-owned and vintage wedding dresses, LED lighting, recycled paper invitations and locally–grown food and flower choices. Couples are making a commitment to each other and the environment with green weddings!
Today’s groom not only rocks a tux, he dives into the planning process… and a little man-scaping along the way. As a fashion-conscious guy with a vision for his wedding (or at least a few worthy ideas), he’s jumping online and searching blogs like: The Man Registry, The Plunge, Temple of the Groom, The Groom Says, and Ben the Groom. It’s wedding planning with a healthy shot of testosterone and a great distraction while you go dress shopping.
Maybe it started with Mad Men, or with the desire to wear a pillbox hat, or a fixation with a fabulous birdcage veil. Brides are catching vintage fever and falling head over heels for retro looks like Depression era glass and tea-length dresses. On the upside, vintage looks are not only classic but eco-friendly and affordable. Brides can channel old-school glamour with a modern twist… and keep budget worries in the past.
Backyard rustic chic is the best way to describe the newest wedding venue - your own backyard. Whether the wedding actually IS in your own backyard, a local park, beach, barn or even the “backyard” of a fabulous resort, the idea is to invite just your nearest and dearest to a wedding that’s long on comfort, charm and love, but low on artifice, pretension, and unnecessary extras. Low heels, casual dresses, and a tent in case of rain are all you need!
Instead of a traditional sit down dinner, experiment with a new twist on wining and dining. To get your guests mingling, try an extended cocktail hour, lounge-style seating or a family-style meal. Anything you can do to shake up the format will give your guests a chance to socialize more freely… and avoid the awkward introductions at the table with assigned seating. Also, couples want to maximize their time with guests and are taking advantage of first-look photo sessions (to cut down on photo time after the ceremony), pre-wedding festivities and after-parties to keep the celebration going.
Forget the “perfect day.” Now couples are letting go of the pressure and creating a “perfect for us” wedding. Romance is in the air with special engagement photo sessions, videotaped proposal stories to capture the memory (and possibly share at the reception) and a renewed focus on marriage. A few other romantic touches include the abundance of lace and tulle on the bridal runway for 2010 dress trends and the continuing popularity of deeply emotional vows and toasts.
We all cheered when wedding menus expanded beyond chicken, beef and fish, but let’s face it, infusions, foams, mousses and “bites” left a lot of us speed-dialing for delivery after a wedding reception. Fortunately, today’s wedding receptions are serving upscale comfort food at sit down meals, buffets and as late night snacks. Desserts are getting a make-over, too, as hard-to-eat fondant is upgraded to butter cream icing on wedding cakes (softer and sweeter) and the cakes are paired with palate-friendly sweets like pies, brownies and cookies.
Tech-savvy couples are embracing online wedding planning to save time and money…and tweeting about it along the way. Aside from status updates, brides-to-be are experimenting with LED lighting, iPod DJ’s and digital cameras to complement their professional wedding vendors. WeddingPreParty.com is also a top destination for Facebook-friendly couples who want to bring their friends and guests into the planning process.
For photography ideas see www.sarahchristinephotography.com
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