DesignerApparel Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed.

DesignerApparel.com is a leading shopping search engine for hundreds of designer brands.  They help provide the consumer with the most comprehensive shopping experience.  DesignerApparel carries brands like Tadashi and J. Kara, as well as a lot of others.

They have found that one of the more difficult aspects of wedding planning is helping the mother of the bride (and the groom) find their dress.  They want to look young and gorgeous as well make sure they fit the tone of the wedding.  Of course the mothers always come to the bride for help in this task, because they want to make sure their daughter loves their outfit as much as they do.

Because of this, DesignerApparel decided to great a page specifically dedicated to finding the perfect Mother of the Bride dresses.  This great resource will make shopping for your mother's perfect dress a fun and easy experience.

DesignerApparel has graciously offered to host a fantastic giveaway for my readers.  They are giving away this gorgeous champagne clutch.  (Sorry the picture is so wonky)

I admired clutches like this throughout wedding planning.  I think they are elegant and go perfectly with a bride's dress.

To enter this giveaway, please go to DesignerApparel's Mother of the Bride dresses page and pick out which dress you would love to see your mother (or another important woman in your life) wear on your wedding day

You can also gain additional entries by doing the following.  Please leave an additional comment for each extra entry that you do.
1. Be a follower of Bride on a Budget.
2. Follow Bride on a Budget on twitter.
3. Tweet about this giveaway.  Make sure to include @brideonbudget and a link to this giveaway in  your tweet.
4. Blog about this giveaway.  Make sure to include a link to the blog post.

This giveaway will end on Friday, June 4th at 5pm EST.  You have up to 5 chances to win.  Good luck!

This giveaway is only open to US residents.

Christian Louboutin Bow Dorset Pumps

Everyone remembers the cover of Brides magazine when they showed these gorgeous Christian Louboutin shoes.

Of course as a bride on a budget, you can't afford a pair of $900 shoes.  Well, Paris Hilton has came out with a pair that is just as gorgeous for only $60 and it comes in multiple colors!

You can pick these up at DSW and they're available in pink, turquoise, black, silver, and ivory.

I wish these would have been out for my wedding.  They're gorgeous!  I think I'm going to buy a pair anyways.

Thanks to The Look 4 Less!

Holiday Weekend Weddings: Do or Don't?

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With Memorial Day coming up, it got me thinking about holiday weekends and whether you should plan weddings around them or not.

A lot of bride's plan weddings over holiday weekends because of the extra time off work.  It gives out-of-town guests more time to travel as well as allowing them to not have to take vacation time from work to attend a wedding.

The downside of holiday weekends is that airfares sky rocket.  Flights average around $100 higher during the holidays than other times of the year.  Also, people usually have plans far in advance for holidays weekends.  A lot of people plan their vacations around the holidays weekends, which  means they might miss your wedding.

If you are planning on having a holiday weekend wedding, make sure to send out save-the-dates.  Etiquette says you should send these out 6-8 months in advance, but I believe that on a holidays weekend, you should actually send them out 8-10 months in advance.  That way, your guests will have ample time to plan and are more likely going to be able to come.

How do you feel about holiday weekend weddings?  Are they a do or a don't?

Ruelala For Weddings

RueLaLa is having a sample sale dedicated to weddings today.  There will be stuff for the bride and groom as well as for the guests.  It opens up at 11am.  Their boutiques normally run for a couple days, but things sell out fast! 

Here's some of the gorgeous stuff they have:

$299

$349

$45

$129

$129

Thanks Fantabulously Frugal!

Real Wedding: Megan and Shane

Megan and Shane got married March 12, 2010 in Dyersburg, Tennessee.  Megan originally had a way earlier date, but ended up having to move it back because of the budget.  It didn't matter though because her wedding turned out absolutely gorgeous.  

Megan planned the majority of the wedding herself and a lot of the projects were all DIY.  Her pink and brown color scheme was absolutely fabulous.

What was your budget?: $3000

What did you do to make your wedding unique?: The thing about my wedding, I didn't follow any of the cookie cutter rules that typical, small town, Southern weddings have. The Knot taught me a lot about how to make my wedding more personal, so I did just that. The bridesmaids didn't wear matching dresses. I served cupcakes instead of cake. I had a monogrammed aisle runner and coffee beans in my centerpieces.

What was your biggest splurge?: I didn't really have one, ha ha! I bought plenty of small splurges, like beaded toasting flutes and a matching serving set, but nothing was very expensive. If anything, it was the cupcakes, because they were kinda pricey per cupcake. But I loved them, and the guests raved about them, so they were worth it.

 What aspect of your wedding did you save the most money on?: There were two areas that were a huge money saver for me. The food was cooked by women from our church, which cost us only the price of buying the food. They didn't charge to prepare it, and it was awesome. We also saved a ton on linens and decorations. My church already had tablecloths, chair covers, sashes, and table skirts. They also provided the hurricanes, candles, and mirrors I used for the centerpieces.

Any advice to give to other brides?:  My advice is to just relax as much as you can the week of the wedding. I was so stressed, and it really made the last of the wedding planning miserable. And take a honeymoon if you can! It's the perfect way to unwind from all the craziness, even if it's just a few nights at a nice hotel.

Vendors
Photography: Angela Laird
Dress: David's Bridal
Cupcakes: Jennifer King
Flowers: Cindy's Florist

Final Budget Total

Now that you've seen the breakdown of our budget, let us add it all up and see what it came out to.  Remember, some of these were just estimates, but they are pretty darn close to the exact number.  There is probably a couple hundred dollars that didn't go accounted for, just because in the last couple of weeks, I lost count of things.  It will happen to you too.  Don't worry.

Total Budget for Our Wedding: $6913

We came in under the $7000 we had budgeted for!  I'm very happy with the way the wedding turned out and the budget we pulled it off with.  I think it ended up being a gorgeous wedding and everyone had fun.

So, if you were worried about having a wedding on a budget under $10,000, don't be.  You can do it too!

Creative (and Cheap) Favor Ideas

Favors are definitely not necessary and are a great thing to cut if you're a little short on money.  But, if you're set on having the, here's some cute and cheap favors that you can give that will add pizazz to your wedding.

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A cookie buffet is a great alternative to the popular candy buffet.  You can easily make the cookies at home a few days before the wedding.  You can find the glass jars at places like yard sales and thrift stores for next to nothing.  Add some little glassine bags and some monogrammed stickers and you have an adorable favors that your guests can take home and enjoy.

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A hot chocolate bar is also a unique idea if you're having your wedding in the winter or up north.  Get a few different tubs of hot cocoa mix from World Market and some hot water.  Guests can make their own hot chocolate.  Add some mix-ins like candy canes, chocolate, and marshmallows and you're guests will love warming up with this treat.

Jar mixes are also a great favor if you have the time to put them all together.  You can buy the ingredients in bulk and buy the canning jars from Walmart.  Then, make an assembly line with you and some friends and start filling the jars.  Top them off with a cute tab with the recipe and you're all set.  Check out Heart4Home for some great jar mix recipes.

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I did molded chocolates for our wedding and they were a big hit.  Really cheap to make too.  I bought the chocolate and the molds from Michaels with 40% off coupons.  I recommend getting multiple molds so you can do them in batches.  I only had one mold, so it took me forever.  You can make these the week before your wedding and they will hold up really well.  Put them in a clear candy bag and tie up with some ribbon.

Budget Breakdown: Other Vendors

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DJ: $700

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Officiant: Free (she's a family friend)

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Photography: $700

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Venue: $1900

Insurance: $200

Rings: $300

Bridal party gifts: $60

Marriage license: $100

Total For This Section: $3960

Titanium Ring for $9.99!!!

If you're still looking for a ring for your hubby to be, go check out Tanga.  They have a Titanium ring right now for $9.99 plus $1.99 shipping.  This is an absolutely fantastic deal!  You have to hurry though because once it's gone, it's gone!

Brochure Winner!

Congratulations to Cathy who was the winner of the brochures from Brochures Printing Online.

I have already emailed Cathy.  If I don't hear back from her by Monday evening, I will pick a new winner.

Budget Bridesmaid Dresses

One of the first things you should do before searching for bridesmaid dresses is ask your bridal party how much they are comfortable spending.  You want them to be happy being in your wedding party.  Making them buy a $200 dress that they're only going to wear once will most likely not make them happy.

I went on the hunt for some bridesmaid dresses under $100 and found some gorgeous ones!

David's Bridal, $99

David's Bridal, $80

Macy's, $70

Macy's, $90

Macy's, $96

Macy's, $82

Budget Breakdown: Catering

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Caterer: $700

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Drinks and Bartender: $500

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Cake: $300

Total For This Section: $1500

Sponsored Post: Linens 'N Things

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Linens 'N Things. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm sure most of you have heard of Linens 'N Things. It's a great store that sells many of different household items.  They sell everything from window coverings to small kitchen appliances.  They have gorgeous bedding as well as really pretty home decor items.

They also have a gift registry!  So, you can sign up on Linens 'N Things website and register for all the household gifts you could possibly want.  Then, all your guests have to do is go on their website, type in either the bride or groom's name and they can order anything off of your registry.  It's simple!

Here are a few of my favorite items from their store:

King size comforter set for $94

Glass Mosaic Wall Mirror for $60

Pet Storage Tower for $70

I could have easily made my entire wedding registry on Linens 'N Things website.

Linens 'N Things has offered my blog readers an exclusive coupon code for free shipping.  Enter the code MOMBLOG on any order over $26 on their website before June 1, 2010 and get free shipping on your order.

If you were to create a wedding registry at Linens 'N Things, what we would be the one item you'd want the most?

Married on Myspace

I absolutely love Married on Myspace.  It's great to see someone's wedding take place right in front of your eyes.  You don't usually get to see the entire planning process of a wedding, so this is a great opportunity to see it.

If you don't know what Married on Myspace is, it's a TV show based directly on Myspace.  They have a new episode every Thursday and every week, the viewers can vote on different aspects of the wedding.

Tonight was the finale of Married on Myspace and the couple got to have their dream wedding (well, kind of).  Here, watch it for yourself.





The Wedding?: Married On MySpace 2 Ep. 13

Married on MySpace | MySpace Video

If you'd like to see the rest of the videos, go over to Myspace and check them out.

Here's some tips for making your own wedding wonderful, from their great wedding planner Anja Winikka, who is an editor for The Knot.

1.     DON’T wait up to 6 months to send your thank you cards.  For gifts received before the wedding, give yourself two weeks. For gifts given at the wedding, cards should be sent within the month following your honeymoon.

2.     DON’T include your registry information on the invitations. The best way to pass on this information is with a wedding website (check out the ones on TheKnot.com!) or by word of mouth.

3.     DO only include the names of the guests you’d like to attend the wedding on your invitations. Want an adults-only ceremony and reception? Only put the parents’ names on the invitation. Want your single friend to bring a date? Include their name and “plus guest” on the invite.

4.     DO handle the awkward comments with class; and know when guests are being more-than-nosey with questions like: “when are you having kids?” and “how much did all of this cost?” or “is this really a white wedding?”

5.     DO utilize the internet! E-save-the-dates are growing in popularity, along with couples starting wedding websites to relay all the important information to their guests. An added plus: E-save-the-dates are green!

6.     DO keep guests at destination weddings entertained by suggesting activities for them to do during their stay. Some couples even prepare gift bags with local trinkets, maps and travel guides for their guests.

7.     DON’T ignore the tipping protocol. Unless gratuity is included in your bill, it is expected that you’ll tip the officiant and the church or synagogue ($500 or more), the delivery and set-up staff (around $5 to $10 per person), the reception staff (15%-20% of the food bill and $200 or $300 for the maitre d’), the stylist and make-up artist (15%-20%), and your driver or person responsible for your transportation (15%-20%). Tipping bakers, florists, your wedding planner, photographers and musicians is optional.

8.     DON’T have a cash bar. Try to adjust your budget by offering a wine selection or a signature cocktail so guests won’t have to fumble for money.

9.     DON’T ask for cash as a gift, even though survey’s show it’s the number one gift couples want. By default, many guests will give cash anyway.

10.   DO include dress codes on invitations so guests will know how to dress, which is especially helpful for those late afternoon weddings with nighttime receptions

 

Budget Breakdown: Decorations

We bought the majority of stuff at the wedding ourselves.  We realized it was better to buy the stuff and possibly sell it later, than to rent it for the same price.  I highly suggest going this route if you have the option.  It wasn't terribly expensive and you're able to recoup some of your cost later.

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Shepards hooks: $10

I bought all the linens for our wedding from linentablecloth.com.  They were having a great sale and I was able to get all the linens for a fantastic price.

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Linens: $150

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Centerpieces: $100

Chargers: Free (borrowed from a friend of our coordinators)

Salt and Pepper Shakers: Free (received from a friend after her wedding)

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Other Decorations: $50

Total For This Section: $300