With the rising costs of planning a wedding, couples are looking for ways to save money. Since the catering bill is oftentimes a big chunk of your wedding budget, you should consider have a dessert and drinks only reception.
This idea is perfect if you are having an evening wedding. Instead of a buffet or sit-down plated dinner, serve an assortment of delicious desserts, coffee, dessert wine and/or a signature cocktail.
Set up the reception with comfy couches with dim lighting rather than your traditional reception tables. This relaxed, lounge-like atmosphere will allow your guests to mingle and be more comfortable.
Just make sure that it’s clear on the invitation that your guests aren’t getting dinner. You don’t want hundreds of disgruntled, hungry people on your hands.
Hiring a wedding coordinator can take a lot of stress out of planning your wedding day. However, many brides are unwilling to relinquish some control of their wedding plans.
Marcy Blum, wedding planner and auther of Wedding Planning for Dummies, talks about what to expect from a wedding planner and how to decide if one is right for you.
This book is “your all-in-one guide to getting married out of town, giving you savvy tips on everything from making travel arrangements to hiring vendors to dressing the wedding party.”
How do you win? Just leave a comment here on this post about where you are planning to have your wedding. Enter only once and this Friday, November 7th at 9:00pm central time, we will draw a winner from all the entries to receive the book.
New York based wedding planner and caterer Andrea Correale of Elegant Affairs was kind enough to talk to us about wedding trends for 2008.
Elegant Affairs Caterers is a 5-Star, full-service catering company that has been catering to social and corporate clientele of Manhattan, Long Island and the Hamptons for the last decade. Andrea has extensive experience planning all types of weddings from the simple affairs to the most lavish galas.
Here are some tips and trends from Andrea and Elegant Affairs Caterers:
What’s In & What’s Out
Round tables for reception seating is out and a combination of square, rectangle, and round tables are in.
Symmetrical floral centerpieces are out and varying size and shape floral centerpieces are in (different vases and vessels used at each reception table).
All white weddings are out. Chocolate brown accented with either pale blue, celadon, or pale orange is the hot color combination for 2008.
Fried food and heavy entrees are out. Lighter fare, organic cuisine, and vegetarian cuisine are definitely in.
Gift Trends
Many brides are requesting that a donation be given to their charity of choice in lieu of wedding gift.
For bridesmaids gifts, it’s a great gesture to take the girls for a spa treatment, or manicures and pedicures followed by a ladies lunch catered at the spa or at a local restaurant.
Using an online photo shop, create personalized photo books of memories throughout the years. Try shutterfly.com to get some great ideas.
Wedding Cake Trends
Round cakes are out and square cakes are in.
The days of the white cake are over. Brides are opting for cakes with bold colors and abstract shapes.
With the cost of an average wedding in the United States growing to nearly $30K, setting aside a large amount of money for a honeymoon may seem impossible. However with some planning and know-how, you plan a wonderful honeymoon without going into serious debt. Here are some basic tips for planning a honeymoon on a budget.
Use a Honeymoon Registry
Just like you register for wedding gifts, you can also register for your honeymoon. With a honeymoon registry, your family and friends can contribute to the costs of your honeymoon instead of buying wedding gifts. This is especially good for couples who don’t need a lot of items for their household. After all, an extra day in Hawaii is probably a better gift than another toaster. You register for hotel accommodations, airfare, food and beverages, activities, merchandise and more. Some people think honeymoon registries are tacky, but you should be no more ashamed of having a honeymoon registry than you are a wedding gift registry.
Travel in the Off-Season
Depending on your honeymoon destination, some times of year are cheaper to travel than others. For example, in Europe you will find cheap flights and hotel rates from December through March. In the South America, Central America and some parts of Mexico, there are “green” or rainy seasons when you can find hotels rates as much as 60% off the peak prices. You should also avoid traveling on weekends. Arrive Sunday through Thursday for the lowest rates. Additionally, don’t travel near holidays.
Honeymoon Domestically
Honeymoon destinations within the continental United States can be just as romantic as those abroad - but much cheaper. If you are honeymooning on a budget, look for destinations within the country. Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, California and Nevada are all popular honeymoon locations. Consider off the beaten path destinations, like a ranch in Montana or a cabin in the Colorado mountains. Call a travel agency in your destination city. They will be able to give you information, insight and maybe even discounts that you cannot find elsewhere.
Book a Package Deal
To find cheap tickets look for travel package that combines both airfare and room accommodations at one discounted price. At LowFares.com, you can search, compare and buy from leading travel sites all from one website. It’s really one of the best ways to find the lowest rates available.
Find Promotional Codes
Search online for promo codes. Car rental companies, hotels and airlines all offer special promotional codes and discounts. If you are a member of AAA, carry a Diners Club card, or belong to any civic or military organizations, you may be able to get discounts between 10-30% off. Some discounts are rarely advertised, so it doesn’t hurt to ask for them. You can also oftentimes frin special honeymoon packages that may include a free meal, gift basket, champagne or spa treatments.
Eat Cheap
If you decide to splurge for a luxury hotel, cut cost in other areas. One way to do that is by eating cheap. Instead of dining at hotel restaurants and pricey eateries, choose to eat where the locals eat. Have lunch at a diner or dinner at a local pizzeria or cafe. If you are staying at a hotel with a kitchenette, buy groceries and stay in and cook. Trying to save money on favors? Check out Truly’s cheap wedding favors
Vanessa Wakeman, CEO of Indulgence Weddings and Events in NYC was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to provide us with her Top Wedding Trends for 2008.
1. Eco-friendly weddings. Hollywood put everyone on notice by making large scale events like the Emmys and Oscars green. Now couples are looking to go green with their weddings.
2. Ice. Ice continues to stay on the trend list because it can be used in so many ways. Don’t think intertwined hearts or kissing swans, envision lush centerpieces housed in vases made of ice, dramatic martini luges or a chandelier with crystal embellishments all made of ice.
3. Wardrobe changes. The bride will show everyone it’s her party and she can change if she wants to. Expect this year’s bride to have two to three different looks throughout the wedding day.
4. Weddings become theatrical. While cookie cutter weddings are a rarity these days, couples will stop at nothing to create a wedding that is completely different from anything else. From dramatic entrances to jaw dropping decor and food, weddings will truly be productions with producers, prop masters and stage hands in the background to make it happen.
5. Budgets will sky rocket. It doesn’t matter what the feds say weddings are recession proof — whether ultra-conservative or over the top — couples will stop at nothing to show the world the true meaning behind what’s love got to do with it!
Vanessa is the Host of The Wedding Coach cable television program; Editor-In-Chief of The Wedding Coach Playbook; Creative Director for Wedding Fantasies, the annual bridal event for affluent brides and a featured Columnist in the society magazine The WAG. Under The Wedding Coach brand, Vanessa has authored “82 Fashion & Beauty Tips for the Full-Figured Bride”, “101 Money Saving Tips for the Bride & Groom” and “The Groom’s Pocket Guide to Wedding Planning” and has served as a special guest speaker and commentator at bridal events for Fortunoff, Bloomingdales and Westchester Weddings magazine.
Vanessa is also the Founder and Executive Director of The Foundation for Living and Loving Life, a non-profit organization with the mission of assisting female cancer Survivors with their wedding planning dreams.
Here at Truly, we are lucky enough to be able to consult with wedding and beauty experts to provide you with fabulous advice, tips and trends for planning for your wedding.
Victoria Nash, President of the newly launched skincare line Esentè was kind enough to offer tips on how to prepare your skin for the “Big Day.”
The trends emerging seems to be that pretty, soft, slightly glamorous and fresh look. A little more makeup than normal so you don’t get washed out in the photos, but always “pretty and soft”. The hair is one place that women want to change it up a bit. They seem to be more willing to experiment and do something that flatters their dress and veil.
Start thinking about your skin months in advance of your wedding. Victoria provides these prep steps to beautiful skin for brides.
This is a good time to curb your sugar,alcohol, and salt intake. Sugar can make your skin dull, wrinkled and saggy. The sugar molecules attach themselves to the collagen fibers causing them to become stiff and inflexible leading to wrinkles and facial sag. Alcohol in excess effects the blood flow to the skin and can cause a red and blotchy complexion.
Salt as we all know can make us retain water and cause puffy eyes as well as a bloated look.
Purge your sin of acne flare-ups rather than suppress them. No one wants acne to show up on your big day. It is good to use products that purge rather than suppress your acne. Try to start using the products two or three months ahead of time. Esente’ has a great acne kit that helps to do just that.
Exfoliate you skin. It’s a good idea to either do some at home exfoliation or perhaps do a few microdermabrasion treatments in the months leading up to your big day. Exfoliation will help to purge your skin of comedones (blackheads) minimize your pores ,and help to retexture your skin.
Don’t try to get that tan! Healthy skin is in. All brides look better with the beauty of their own natural skin tones. The effects of the sun and tanning beds will age you quickly. Tanning beds even more so as the rays penetrate deeper into the dermis aging our skin up to 40 times faster than if we don’t use them. Remember we want to look beautiful for our anniversaries as well as our wedding day.
For Victoria Nash, the creation of esenté Physioceuticals culminates a lifelong passion for advanced aesthetics and health. Her formal education includes Phoenix Medical and Kar-Ché Professional Career Center, where she received her license for facials and skin analysis. In addition, Victoria has received comprehensive training in Silhouet-Tone equipment for dermabrasion, cellulite treatment, and microcurrent and light therapies. To learn more about her Esentè skin care line, visit esente.com.
As we are all concerned for the environment, one of the biggest trends in wedding planning today is having a “green” wedding. Bridal Guide magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Diane Forden offers us these fabulous green wedding tips.
1. Save a tree, cordially
Start with your invitations. Find a stationer who offers uncoated, recycled or recyclable paper. Many stores sell beautiful papers made from cotton fibers (recovered from garment factories) or 100% recycled handmade cards embedded with flower seeds.
2. Eat, drink and be merry
Serve guests an organic feast of foods produced without chemical fertilizers, antibiotics or pesticides, and top it off with organic drinks. During cocktail hour, for example, try Square One vodka and Juniper Green gin, both fermented without additives.
3. Let your wedding bloom
Brides and their florists should choose eco-certified flowers. Organic blooms are often requested by season, such as tulips for spring weddings and sunflowers for nuptials in autumn.
4. Give a little back
Provide your guests with party favors they will enjoy and can reuse. Consider fair-trade tea, coffee or chocolates, tree seeds or saplings or re-usable totes. Natural soaps and body lotions are also a favorite.
Charitable registries are also a great way to give back. Companies like Target and JCPenney will donate a percentage of each gift purchased off the couple’s registry to a charity of their choice. Or forego gifts all together and suggest that guests contribute money directly to a good cause. Sites like the IDoFoundation.org provide great charitable wedding ideas and resources.
5. Getaway in green
Going green doesn’t need to end with the wedding day. You can be eco-conscious on your honeymoon by choosing a hotel dedicated to preserving and enhancing its environment. Green hotels, for example, use low wattage bulbs, soap dispensers instead of bars and only change towels and sheets daily if the guest so requests it.
I was watching another one of the taped episodes of Say Yes to the Dress last night. It was the one where Claudia returns from vacation. Have you seen it?
If not, it was a great one! You should try to catch the re-runs on TLC. I’m sure they will repeat it.
Again, Maura, Joan and Elise are frustrated with Claudia’s lack of sales … and of course, Claudia doesn’t seem to care much. However, they moved her room (each bridal consultant has an assigned room where they see clients and do fittings) to be right across from the management office. Now they can keep a close eye on her and watch her fail up close and personal.
The bride that was the most interesting to me on this episode was Amy, who was an older bride. I don’t know how old she was because she was a very lovely looking woman - but I’d guess she was upwards of 45. It was great to see a more mature bride getting so into her wedding planning.
Amy was Claudia’s client, and she tried on three or four gowns, two of which she liked a lot but couldn’t make a decision. Her budget was $5,000 or less. One of the dresses that she really liked was $8,100! I know that they really want to sell. But when you say your price range is $5K, they really shouldn’t pressure you into trying on a $8K dress. Anyway … that wasn’t my main point.
As the show went along, Claudia and the management encouraged Amy to go have lunch and then come back to try on the dresses again. They, of course, were hoping that she’d decide and buy that same day. When Amy returned, it was pretty chaotic as another bride was trying on one of her dresses (yes, this same thing happened in another episode … shouldn’t they get more than one dress in each style?).
Well Amy didn’t “Say Yes to the Dress.” She thought Claudia and the staff were being far too pushy. She didn’t give in to the pressure and put off her decision for another day. For this, I commend her. If you are ever out shopping for your bridal gown, don’t let the staff push you around. Amy had a point … $8,000 is a lot of money and it’s her money. If she needed more time, then that’s her prerogative.
The gowns in this show were beautiful again. Kleinfeld Bridal is obviously one of the best bridal shops in the business. The gowns they sell are absolutely fabulous. As in the last show, some of my favorites were from Pnina Tornai and Amalia Carrara.
One interesting part of this episode was that they showed downstairs at the bridal salon where all the alterations are done to make the gowns absolutely perfect for each bride. Each bead, rhinestone and pleat has to be just exactly right. Though it was brief, it was a nice new aspect of the show.
This show centered around brides that were getting married this past summer on 07-07-07. It was funny that some of them had chosen the date because of superstition or luck, while others were completely oblivious to it beeing 7-7-7 when they set their date.
Another bride that interested me on this episode of Say Yes to the Dress was Tina. She and her fiance had both been married twice before. So they were planning lucky number 3. The first gown that the consultant showed her featured a lot of color in the skirt.
I was happy when Tina nixed it and went for a more traditional white gown. Just because it’s your third time doesn’t mean you can’t wear white!
All in all, it was a good show. Claudia didn’t make any sales again and the rest of the storylines are interesting!
I’ll watch a couple more taped episodes later this week and let you know what I think!
What do you think about this show? Leave your comments and let us know.
Most brides pride themselves on having their wedding bells in April, May, or June, but really, can you imagine anything more romantic than red roses and snowflakes falling all around you on your wedding day?
There is certainly something about the atmosphere of a still, snowy winter’s day that reminds us of Elizabeth Bennett finally getting together with Mr. Darcy and leaves us feeling all warm inside. That is, at least for the romantic bride.
Aside from the warm fuzzies you’ll get from experiencing your fantasy wedding, though, you’re bound to be pretty cold if you’re dwelling around outside in an attempt to get pictures, or especially if you insisted on an outdoor ceremony to set the ‘winter wonderland’ mood. Fortunately, there are a few extra things you can do to make sure you’ll stay warm even when it’s oh so cold outside.
Stop by Starbucks: You’ll definitely want to be all warmed up on the inside if you’re going to brave the winter winds. Stop by your favorite coffee shop and get something that will warm you up before you walk down the aisle.
Wear Your Hair Down: Even if you are having your wedding somewhere that is notorious for humidity, on cold winter days your hair is a lot less likely to go flat than it would be in summer months. Also, by wearing your hair down, you’ll avoid having your ears turn as red as Rudolph’s nose!
Accessorize: Winter weddings make it possible to add extra accessories you wouldn’t see in the summer. Having a wedding cloak and hand muff could add a romantic element to some of your pictures while keeping you warm at the same time. You’ll probably wear just your dress at the reception, so it might be fun to look a little different for the actual ceremony!
Keep Your Feet in Mind: You probably should opt out of open-toed shoes for your winter wedding; that’s a given. Have you thought about wearing furry white boots though? Not only will your feet be warm, you’ll have a very distinctive style about you!
Watch the Clock: You’ll want to make sure an outdoor ceremony is short, sweet, and to the point and that it goes of without a hitch. Not only will watching the clock keep you from spending extra minutes in the bitter cold, your guests will appreciate the chance to get out of the cold sooner too!
Since the catering bill is oftentimes a big chunk of your wedding budget, you should consider have a dessert and drinks only reception.
Are you planning a destination wedding? You can win a copy of 
1. Eco-friendly weddings. Hollywood put everyone on notice by making large scale events like the Emmys and Oscars green. Now couples are looking to go green with their weddings.
Here at Truly, we are lucky enough to be able to consult with wedding and beauty experts to provide you with fabulous advice, tips and trends for planning for your wedding.
I was watching another one of the taped episodes of 
Most brides pride themselves on having their wedding bells in April, May, or June, but really, can you imagine anything more romantic than red roses and snowflakes falling all around you on your wedding day?