Wedding Tips- Dress Shoping

I admit most of my vendors will be for Colorado residents but some of these may apply else where.

I am not a fan of Davids Bridal, all to often as a photographer I see the same gown twice each year. I always felt that a dress should be unique unto the person. Doesn't mean you have to go designer but just shop around before going to Davids Bridal. {please}

D'Anelli's Bridal Shop

Great about this place is the selection, yes a lot what is out on display can be rather pricy but they have a ton of dresses in the back of the store. Some only a hundred dollars. Each season they have a huge sale because styles become "old" in the fashion world and their for are on sale at a lot less.
The staff is very helpful. Great place to shop.

Wed Wisely

This is a second hand bridal shop, but lets face it all the dress are cleaned and look new but may have been used once for 6 hours. For only $100 you could get a Maggie Sottero, when normally they are like $1500 I think thats a steal. Great ladies who run the shop.

Encore Bridal

Has some good selection. Gowns are either bought from other bridal shops or second hand. But their are all under $600. So if you looking for a great dress under that amount, this would be a good place to start.

Craigslist

Whats great about craigslist is you can look and find that perfect dress and not pay a whole lot of money for it. The bad part is finding the size and locating the person and setting up a time to try it on. Its a lot more work than just going to a bridal shop but I would try. Its under Clothing section in craigslist, just type in wedding and a bunch will pop up.

Schaffer's Ultimate Bride

They have several dozen sample gown each season that are available at a reasonable price. Some of their dress are a bit tattered, don't be shocked if you have to order it from the designer.

Little White Dress
Is a small bridal boutique that has a great selection still. In Castle Rock.


Expand your thoughts beyond Davids Bridal... You wont be disappointed.

Wedding Tips- Day 3

Expanding on CAKE and the (3) important thing

So cake, after every single wedding their is more cake then one can handle, most reasons because the people who cut the cake actually cut it 1/3 or 1/4 of the size of an actual piece. And lets just face it people don't want a lot of cake any more. We are all on this constant diet that we can't enjoy more than one piece of cake. 80% of the weddings have enough cake to feed an entire church on Sunday. Most people just have to give it away. So word from someone who has seen a lot of wedding and ate my fair share of cake, get a smaller cake than a bigger one. Show the staff how big you want the pieces and it will be great and 100$ cheaper. ;)

The 3 Important Things

Every bride should have her top three. What she really wants and will bend the budget for.

Could be the Photographer, Dress, DJ
Could be the ceremony site, decorations, food

What ever these 3 are, you should have your say. You can control these 3 things, let others worry about flowers or the videographer.

About figuring out the budget of the three things think of this:
-How many times are you going to get married
-What areas could I save on to get these three things
-Remember not all the people you invite to your wedding will you remember in 5 years
- See if you can borrow some items to make the items cheaper. For Example: dress skirt, veil, tiara, fake flowers instead of real, buying more itunes and being your own DJ or handing your friend a video camera.

On any budget you can make an awesome wedding

Wedding Tips Day 2- Flowers

Now flowers are amazing at any wedding. They are used for decoration and also just nice to smell and hold. But depending on the season and that time of the month, they can be supper expensive.
I mean really expensive.

Spring Wedding Flowers In Season

Apple or cherry blossoms
Daffodils
Dogwoods
Forsythia branches
Hyacinth
Iris
Larkspur
Lilies
Lilacs
Lily of the Valley
Pansies
Peonies
Sweet Peas
Tulips

Summer Wedding Flowers In Season

Asters
Calla Lilies
Dahlias
Daisies
Delphinium
Geraniums
Hydrangeas
Iris
Jacobs Ladder
Larkspur
Queen Anne’s Lace
Roses
Shasta daises
Stock
Sunflower
Zinnias

Fall Wedding Flowers In Season

Asters
Chrysanthemums
Zinnias
Gerbera daisies
Marigolds
Roses
Sunflowers

Winter Wedding Flowers In Season

Amaryllis
Camellias
Forget-me-nots
Jasmine
Orchids
Poinsettias
Holly

If you pick flowers that are more in-season to build your bouquets you will save lots of money.

Also instead of having huge centerpeices of flowers make a fake arrangement and place it in your home after the wedding. Flowers last maybe two weeks. Fake flowers last so much longer, and then you can decorate your home.

Wedding Tips for the Bride Day 1

I have been asked by friends lately about what vendors to go to and what sites would be good for a ceremony. As well as the bride on a budget. It takes me ten minutes to give every suggestion for any budget. So getting my inspiration from Julia & Julia I figure this is one way, I could help everyday brides out there.

I am not a writer but I know my stuff about weddings. As to date I am push nearly 200 weddings photographed. I have seen Indian traditions, Jewish traditions, catholic traditions and such.

Cake will be today's topics, I don't know why. .

Depending on how cake is important to you, I would suggest several options.

For those in Colorado some of these vendors will be exclusively to you.


1. Safeway

The link below will give you even how much to estimate in cost of a cake.

http://www.wednet.com/wedding-cakes/safeway/

2. King Soopers
http://www.kingsoopers.com/fresh_foods/deli_bakery/Pages/wedding_and_anniversary.aspx

3. Cheese cakes and having a small cake for show (Cheesecake Factory)

http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/

4. Cupcake wedding cakes are the latest things
5. Cakes by Karen

http://www.cakesandlimousines.com/

6.

Tuesday!

I have been working on some new fun templates and hope they turn out well...

I am super excited about updating the website. Its good to be busy but too busy to update things...

What can you do....

Updating!

So I have been a delinquent in updating my blogs...

A lot has happened.

Lets see...





And besides doing weddings, I went to New Orleans, Chicago, Iowa, Wyoming, Nebraska and not done til late December.

I am so excited for the upcoming year and my holiday weddings... tis the season to be married :)

In October I had a unexpected trip the Hospital, I got my gallbladder removed. But thankfully didn't interrupt one thing. I was out for one week. But now I am thinner, and more active than ever. Got to love it.

Here is a pic from my trip to down south

Weddings of the Summer