Weddings Don’t Have To Be Expensive
By Carlise (Carla) ShepperdNowadays, you will find that many couples are getting less and less interested in investing huge piles of money in unnecessary details for their weddings. Many experts agree that expensive weddings have diminished in popularity over the last few years. Some even agree that simple, minimalist weddings are the way to go. Of course, it's great to find ways of throwing a luxurious party without a big budget; however, as you may already know, this isn’t simple to do. The great news is that it is possible to save lots of money on your wedding if you avoid a few unnecessary expenses. Saving money at your wedding involves a little bit of creativity.
Regardless of budget size, brides and grooms always wish they hadn’t spend money in certain wedding expenses. For every person, this list will be different of course. Let’s take a look on which things can be unnecessary in order to have a unique, memorable wedding:
Rent or have your wedding dress made.
Do you really want to spend $1000 or more in a wedding dress that you’ll only wear once in your life? Most wedding dresses are incredibly expensive. Designers and stores know that people will pay lots of money for a wedding dress. Renting is probably the best option, since it will only cost you a small fraction of what the dress is originally worth. If you are interested in keeping your wedding dress, a better option could be finding a good tailor and having it made. Use the savings on the honeymoon.
Save up money with affordable jewelry.
Sometimes, accessories such as jewelry can be more expensive than the bride’s dress! Almost every bride wants to look memorable for their wedding, and jewelry is one of the best ways to help them get there. To save up money, instead of buying jewelry at a conventional store, contact a skilled craftsman. A craftsman is able to custom design you beautiful pieces of jewelry at very affordable prices. Another option is checking online. Many online websites and auction sites will sell jewelry at incredible prices. We recommend checking out www.diamondwhisperer.com.
No need for an expensive caterer.
Food and drink for the guests are one of the most expensive elements of any wedding. There’s no doubt that a good caterer will cost the bride and groom lots of money. However, you can save up a lot by selecting the food, drink, and flowers by yourself. Believe it or not, many grocery stores have most of the items you need in order to throw out a great wedding party.
Support Military Families By Wearing Purple April 15th
By Carlise (Carla) Shepperd
Support active duty servicemen and woman who have sacrificed their time from their families to protect us and our country; most important they have sacrificed the time away from their children. By wearing Purple on April 15 we will be acknowledging the children, who have sacrificed the time away from their moms and dads.
Learn more at: berlindailysun.com and msue.anr.msu.edu who deserves the credit for the photo above!
Think Samara James For Stunning Jewelry
By Carlise (Carla) Shepperd
So, by now you see that Samara James is the place to shop for not only your engagement ring but your matching wedding bands as well. Don’t just stop at the rings though, be sure to get a matching pendant and earrings to complete your wedding day look.
TLC Is Calling All Brides On A Budget For New Show!
By Carlise (Carla) Shepperd
TLC is doing a casting call for a NEW wedding show, Brides On A Budget, that celebrates brides who are planning their weddings on a smaller budget. This show celebrates budget and DIY brides who want to show the world that you don't need a lot of money to create a magical wedding day that you'll remember for the rest of your life.
I am super excited about this new show...it's about time and I would be beyond thrilled if a bronze budget bride were to make it on the show.
If you are ready to apply, go here now to Semi Sweet Productions and good luck!
The Wedding Planner Debate
By Carlise (Carla) Shepperd
This debate has raged since the dawn of the three tiered, flower appliqué, marzipan and sugar icing wedding cake; do you, or do you not, need a wedding planner?
If You Can Afford It...
A wedding planner can save you time, stress, and if you pick the right one, they can also save you money. If you’re planning your wedding alone, a wedding planner can really help take the strain of trying to do everything yourself. In this situation, if you haven’t planned a wedding before then they will be more knowledgeable and won’t forget about anything, the same can’t be said for you.
A wedding planner is also very helpful for those planning a destination wedding. You won’t be able to travel to your destination frequently enough to find venues for the wedding and reception, find a caterer, etc, etc, whereas your planner will.
If you’ve tried to take on the planning yourself, but find yourself overwhelmed and panicky and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, then you might find it is easier to hire a wedding planner to take over.
You can also decide how much input the planner has to your wedding, and it is important to choose a planner appropriate to your wedding plans, as up market planners may not be able to plan a budget wedding, and vice versa.
Choose a wedding planner carefully. It’s your wedding, so when picking your wedding planner make sure your aesthetic style correlates with theirs. Get testimonials, references and evidence of their previous work to make sure that they’re the planner that you want. Make sure that they listen to your thoughts and opinions- if you feel that they are overly critical then they may not organise the wedding that you want.
If You Can’t Afford It...
Then worry not, people plan weddings all the time. It doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to find help. Online wedding planners can be just as good as a real life wedding planner, and if you know what you want then they are excellent organisational tools. The good ones have specially designed software that help you to plan everything from the budget to organising who’s invited to the seating plan. They also have good resources on where to find your photographer, band or DJ, wedding dress, transport and more; everything you might need.
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Wedding Photo Idea: Last Wedding Day Shot
By Carlise (Carla) Shepperd
Usually, we see shots of the bride and groom driving away after the reception but what if they drive away in a limo...this is probably what you would see. I love this last wedding day shot because it makes so much sense.
photo source: the sophisticated mondaine
Be Wise Don't Drink And Drive Wedding Sign
By Carlise (Carla) Shepperd
I've seen quite a few different wedding signs in the past couple of years that I've absolutely loved but this one made my day because it's not only thoughtful but smart as well.
If you are going have an open bar or will be serving alcohol in general at your wedding, there will probably be a guest or two who will drink a lot. So, it is a very thoughtful idea to have the name and number of a few taxi cab services in the area for your guests. Even with technology, there may only be a few who would use the internet on their phones to get the info for themselves, so make a sign ladies!






