Tips on Saving Money before your wedding
Getting married can be extremely expensive! The financial burden can cause stress to the bride, groom and even family members.
Here is some advice on saving money and budgeting to help ease the financial burden.
1.) Set a budget and stick to it. Don't be tempted into over spending because a dollar per person times 150 guests equates to $150 in savings instead of in debt.
2.) If you have a line of credit, don't be tempted to use it just because it is there. Instead, make an attempt to always pay it off. For example, if your credit card is due on the 15th of the month and it is $1000, put $1000 on your line of credit for 15 days and then move it onto your credit card on the 15th. That is 2 weeks of interest that you can save on your line of credit. If you move your entire pay check onto the line of credit, anything you don't spend will remain and you will pay it off faster. Be sure that you don't take more than you put in!
3.) Leading up to the wedding make small lifestyle changes to save here and there: use coupons, make coffee at home, bring your lunch to work, make a point of decreasing the number of times you eat out.
4.) Cancel your tv. Spend the time with your fiancé or planning your wedding instead!
5.) Take books and CDs out from the library instead of buying them.
6.) I recommend buying generic or store brand products instead of brand name.
In another article I will discuss saving money on wedding expenses specifically.
Decorating the hall for your wedding reception
Decorating is a great way to incorporate your wedding colors and create a wonderful ambiance for your wedding night. Guests will spend sometimes up to 9 hours at the hall for dinner and dancing, so you want an environment that will make them want to stay.
Here are some decorating tips from my experience:
1.) The ceiling - Before you begin, ensure that the ceiling is a smooth surface. If you plan to put the balloons anywhere that the ceiling has spackle or sharp surfaces, the balloons will burst!
2.) Balloons - Everyone loves balloons. They come in so many shapes and colors. Incorporate your wedding colors in various balloon combinations and by varying the length and color of the ribbon. Do not cheap out on balloons! More expensive balloons are worth it as they leak less. You can also fill higher quality balloons fuller before they pop, allowing them to stay afloat longer. Plan for one balloon per square foot or double that for complete ceiling coverage.
3.) Helium is a must. If you have access to the hall the night before, I recommend decorating at that time, as the last thing you want to do on the day of your wedding is to spend your time blowing up balloons. Helium filled balloons will stay afloat for approximately 10-12 hours depending on the environment. If you want the balloons to stay afloat long enough for the reception, I recommend using a product called Super Hi-Float, which seals all the tiny holes inside the balloon and slows down the escape of the helium. In terms of time it takes about 45 minutes for 2 people to inflate 100 balloons.
4.) Streamers - Attach various colored streamers to the ceiling, chairs, walls or anything else you can think to wrap them around. Twisting different colors together can create a nice effect.
5.) Table - Each table is a great host for decorating. Use tablecloths, napkins and centerpieces to display colors. Don't forget about your wedding favors to help add decoration.
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Gifts for Groomsmen
Groomsmen have several important responsibilities during a wedding from organizing an awesome stag and keeping the groom calm all the way to carrying the rings. In return for their hard work you should give them a nice gift of thanks, which can sometimes be trickier than it sounds. Here are some groomsmen gift ideas:
-A nice bottle of liquor. Buy him something that he would not normally buy himself. We did this and it was a huge hit.
-Is he into a particular sport? Why not get him some sports equipment. Golf balls or a baseball glove.
-Get him tickets to a concert or game.
-How about a gift certificate? I recommend a nice restaurant, clothing store, or outdoor store.
-Something engraved can add that personal touch: flask, Swiss Army Knife
, money clip, Beer Stein just to name a few.
-A barbecue tools kit
-Go for something useful: a tie, a watch, cufflinks, a fancy pen, a tool.
More Bachelorette party ideas!
In my last post I discussed stagette themes, but here's a list of specific activities that I've brainstormed for a group of ladies to do for a day or evening.
- Go to the spa. Manicures or pedicures or facials - spend the day getting pampered and pretty.
- Have a fondue. Start with oil or cheese but be sure to end with chocolate-yum!
- Hold a potluck. Share all your favorite recipes with each other! Try a theme, such as everyone brings something Italian.
- Go bowling. The evening will be sure to be a strike with the bride to be!
- Crimp your hair, throw on some tights and head to a roller rink to reminisce of the good old days.
- Head out for a night of karaoke bachelorette karaoke
. So many great songs: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, or Like a Prayer (or anything from Madonna!)
- Calgary has a fantastic venue for dueling pianos (Aussie Rules). It is an entertaining show combining comedy with great party songs that everyone knows and loves and can dance to! Hopefully your city has a similar venue!
- Check out a comedy show at your local Yuk Yuks
Bridesmaid Gifts
The most stressful part of my wedding was finding the perfect gift for my bridesmaids to say "thank you". They are responsible for so many aspects of the wedding from helping you with invitations, to planning (and paying for) your stagette, all the way to keeping you calm on your wedding day.
In the end, I found the perfect gifts (bringing both bridesmaids to tears!) but it took a lot of thinking. You would think it would be an easy task as the women you choose should be those closest to you and you therefore know them very well. Maybe it was the additional stress of the wedding that made thinking difficult, but I found it to be a very challenging task!
Here is a list of ideas that I thought of and some that I used:
1.) Birthstone jewelry. A necklace, bracelet, ring, anklet, brooch, earrings. Surely you can find something that she'll use and love!
I've included a list for quick reference, but most stores will have the information on hand:
January-Garnet
February-Amethyst
March-Aquamarine
April-Diamond
May-Emerald
June-Pearl
July-Ruby
August-Peridot
September-Sapphire
October-Opal
November-Citrine
December-Blue Topaz
2.) Perfume. If you're not sure what scent she likes either have try to bring it up in conversation, ask a family member or buy a sampler pack of some popular perfumes.
3.) A gift basket. Either buy a pre-made basket or fill one with all of her favorite things.
4.) Buy her a gift certificate for the spa. You can even go all together for a pedicure, a massage or a manicure and make it a girl's day.
5.) A nice bottle of wine and wine glasses.
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Bridesmaid dresses
I ordered Alfred Angelo dresses online from House of Brides
. I chose HOB based on their testimonials, however so far I have been unimpressed by their (lack of) customer service and would not recommend them to any of my friends or colleagues getting married. I chose Alfred Angelo dresses because of their reputation for outstanding quality.
Ordering from HOB saved me a ton of money compared to buying them at one of the Alfred Angelo distributors here in Calgary, but it turned out to be a huge fiasco and was not worth the money I saved!
The good news was that the dresses came on time even though I only ordered them 5 months before the wedding. Upon arrival of the dresses, I inspected them for any damages or flaws, as their terms and conditions state. However, I could not try them on since they are not my size. And my bridesmaids were unavailable to try them on at that time.
A month later, when my bridesmaids where available for a fitting, they tried them on and we went to a seamstress here in Calgary to get a quote for alterations since the dresses were slightly large on both the girls.
The seamstress took a look at both dresses and said they were sewn defectively and had they arrived in her store for retail she would have sent them back immediately. The size 2 dress has been sewn will too much fabric in the bust area and is all bunched up and the line
along the chest has been sewn crookedly.
The size 4 dress had one breast cup that has been sewn completely defectively. It has a huge out-jetting of fabric and came to a huge point in the middle. It looks terrible!
With my wedding 3 weeks away, I was in a bind. The seamstress said it will cost me $85 for each dress to fix the imperfections since she will have to pick apart all the seams and re-sew them. She also said it would take her 2 weeks to fix them.
I asked both House of Brides and Alfred Angelo (who passed the buck to HOB) what they could do to help me. I suggested they reimburse me for the cost of the alterations, providing I could send photographic evidence of how bad the dresses were sewn. Or, I suggested they send me new dresses ASAP? This would be a risk as the new ones might have to be altered as well.
This is the reply I received from HOB:
"Return authorizations can only be given within 5 days of receipt of the merchandise. This policy is very strict and there are no exceptions. You have had the dresses so long that Alfred Angelo could not correct any problems within the time frame you have given us.
The average cost for alterations is $80 per dress. $85 per dress is your case is standard in the industry."
Moral of my experience: If you chose to order from HOB, inspect and try on your dresses immediately so that you can return them within 5 days. Also, order them early so that you have time for them to be replaced if they are sewn badly. Another option, order from another company!!!
Top ten wedding favor ideas
Wedding favors are a great way to thank your guests for coming, providing a souvenir and also work great to decorate. I believe wedding favors should be customized with your name and wedding date and they should also be functional!
Here a 10 ideas I've brainstormed to help you:
1.) Sport's theme. Do you play sports together? This is a great way to get your guests hooked on something you enjoy. Give them personalized golf balls, a hockey puck, baseballs, poker cards.
2.) Candy, candy, candy. Fill organza party favor bags with your favorite treat. Let your guests know how sweet you really are. This allows you to personalize either the bags, the candy or both!
3.) Personalized Mint Tins. Not only will your guests have fresh breath, but they'll also have a nice souvenir that easily fits into any pocket or purse!
4.) Candles are a useful and romantic gift that everyone can use.
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 Musical Wedding Cake Candle US $10.00
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5.) Soap is a gift that will never go bad and will look nice on display if your guests choose not to use it right away.
6.) Destination wedding? How about a beach-themed favor?
flip-flop luggage tags, embroidered canvas beach tote, or custom sea shells.
7.) You'd be hard pressed to find a guest that doesn't appreciate coffee or tea! Brew your love with personalized tea or coffee packages.
8.) What guest doesn't love chocolate? Give them sweet chocolate wedding cards.
9.) Photo Coasters
10.) Nicely decorated donation envelopes. Make everyone feel good about themselves by contributing to a charity of your choice.
Bridal Fairs
Most bridal fairs happen in January or February to allow enough time to plan for a summer wedding. As such, we have missed most fairs across Canada for this year. However, there is a bridal fair coming up in March!
Details:
Bridal Trends
March 29-30, 2008
Vancouver Convention Centre
999 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC
Saturday & Sunday: 10am-6pm
Wedding Registries
Choosing a registry can be a difficult task as nowadays there so many options. The Bay, Canadian Tire, Walmart, Linen 'n Things,Stacks and stacks...just to name a few.
Many vendors will go to bridal fairs to explain their registry options. I will shed some light on my experience. Note: I have no affiliation with HBC, these are comments based on my experience.
My husband and I registered at the Bay. It is the most popular place to register, and now I understand why. Not only can your fiancé have fun with the scanning gun and add a whole bunch of fun things, but it is another great opportunity to spend time together. Also, you feel like you're on a shopping spree! The variety of merchandise is fantastic.
Be careful not to get carried away however. Stay focused and have a plan before going in. Don't feel pressured to add everything the first time as the number of trips in to scan are limitless.
You can add all sorts of things. Furniture, appliances (sometimes when you add a bed or big ticket item you will receive gift cards), clothing, household items, food. The only things that generally can't be added are seasonal or discontinued items.
The best reason to choose The Bay is for the discounts you receive after your wedding. Anything remaining on your registry can be purchased at a discounted price (sometimes up to 50% off and a minimum of 10% off) for an entire year after your wedding date!!! Also, you can add additional items onto your registry in that time. Go shopping, add it to your registry and buy it that day and save!!
If you can swing it, suggest people buy you HBC gift cards for your wedding. That way everything you buy is on sale, whereas your guests have to pay full price.
TWO MORE TIPS:
1.) Save all your receipts from the Bay in case you want to return anything. If not, they will assume the gift was bought on sale and from an HBC member so they will set the value of the return way less than the actual price payed.
2.) Sign up for the HBC credit card for any large purchases. This gives you 10% off your purchase whenever you buy something off of your registry. In addition, the day you sign up you are entitled to 10% giving you a total of 20% off your first day. You only have to put 1/2 of you purchase on your credit card and the other half can be payed with by cash or gift cards.
Hope your experience goes as well as mine did!
Financial Wedding Advice
I Now Pronounce You Paid In Full: Who Pays for What During the Wedding Celebrations
There’s no two ways about it: weddings are expensive. Paying for every detail is enough to drain any family’s financial coffers and – even worse – leave them wrestling with debt. Especially for new couples paying their own way during the wedding, the expenses quickly add up.
The following is a traditional guide to dividing expenses equally and fairly among the four major participants in planning the four main parts of the wedding celebration: rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, and honeymoon. These are guidelines more than rules, and are intended to show tradition more than carved-in-stone etiquette.
The Bride’s Family
There’s a popular misconception among the unmarried of the world that the bride’s family foots the entire bill. That’s not entirely true, though unfortunately it may feel that way for the father of the bride! Traditionally, the bride’s family finances the reception dinner with all its facets: the food, drink, venue, service staff (including tips), flower arrangements, wedding favors, and any other miscellany. The bride’s family also pays for many of the necessities leading up to the ceremony: these usually include the bridal gown, the wedding invitations and save-the-date reminders, as well as the engagement and wedding photographs.
Finally (!) the wedding ceremony costs, the photographer and videographer fees, the cost of the ring bearer and flower girl accessories, the transportation costs and bridesmaids bouquets are all picked up by the bride’s family. Honestly… if you’re the parent of a young girl, start saving right now.
The Bride
Compared to her family, the bride gets off relatively easy. Brides traditionally pay for the groom’s wedding band, gifts for her
bridesmaids, the bridesmaids’ luncheon, her blood test fees, and the wedding day lingerie. In the strictest traditional sense, the bride should also pay for her out-of-town bridesmaids accommodations.
The Groom
Okay, guys. Time to pony up. Following the engagement ring (that two-month’s salary guideline is passé, by the way) you’ve still got a few things left to buy. You’ll pay for the honeymoon, the marriage license, and gifts for your groomsmen. The gentleman groom, however, also pays for the bridal bouquet and corsages for your mother and your new mother-in-law.
You’ll also pick up the boutonnieres, ties, and accessories for the groomsmen, and finally the bride’s wedding ring. Gifts for the ushers and for your parents go the extra distance to showing your class. You should also pay the honorarium for the judge, justice of the peace, or clergyman who officiates the ceremony, too.
The Groom’s Family
Besides their own attire, the groom’s family is responsible for the rehearsal dinner and all its details.
The Maid of Honor
Bachelorette parties and wedding showers are the responsibility of the maid of honor. This includes all the details, top to bottom.
The Best Man
The best man is master of ceremonies and godfather of the bachelor party, from the planning to the execution to pouring all the guests into cabs at the end of the night. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.
The Groomsmen and Bridesmaids
Most of the attire – for example, the tuxedo rental and costs of the gown – are the responsibility of the individual wedding party member. They also give a gift to the newlyweds. Groomsmen arriving from out-of-town are also expected to pay for their accommodations.
My Wedding Favors has a complete selection of elegant yet inexpensive wedding favors to fit any taste and style. We also carry a complete selection of groomsmen and bridesmaids gifts. Visit us online at www.myweddingfavors.com to browse our complete catalog.
