Posts Tagged ‘tips’

Tall centerpieces are gorgeous and dramatic. A popular trend is large vases with flowers, twigs or floating candles. To pull off this look for your reception you want to keep a few things in mind:

Consider thinner vases. This way guests can still see others sharing the table with them and no one will have to strain their necks or rearrange seating to hold a conversation.

Clear is best. Not only will they reflect light beautifully but it will not block off everyone’s view from what is going on on the opposite side of the table.

A place for everything. If you visualize incorporating a very full look that includes low hanging items, you may want to put the larger centerpieces on cake, gift or buffet tables.

The current economy is weighing in on many people’s decisions for their wedding. Even if you have saved for this day, you may be trying to figure out how to still have the event of your dreams while not cleaning out your savings. We have put together a list of where you may want go ahead and spend top dollar as well as where you can DIY or shop around for a lower price.

SPLURGE: Photography. Beautiful photos of your wedding day are irreplaceable. The excitement and pride you want to have when you look at your pictures is so important. This is truly and area where you get what you pay for and we suggest investing in a quality photographer. A good budget for 6-hours of service is $1300-2000. If you use the same photographer for your engagement photos, check on discount pricing for your wedding.

SAVE: Flowers. People always say flowers are the most expensive purchase for your wedding and while this can be true, with a little effort and creativity you can put together some beautiful bouquets and centerpieces on your own. By purchasing wholesale flowers from places like The Flower Exchange and finding inspiration from magazines or blogs, you can recreate your ideal flower arrangements and cut costs.

SPLURGE: Catering. Food is an important element to any event and none more important than your wedding. Definitely take your time selecting a caterer and taste everything you think you may want on the menu but be prepared to allocate a good amount to this area. As a general rule, the more guests you have, the lower the price per person. If you are having a buffet reception, budget $25-40 per person. If you are having a seated reception, budget $55-80 per person.

SAVE: Cake. You can have a smaller, tiered cake put on display for your guests to ‘ooh and ahh’ over and have a sheet cake hidden in the back to be cut and served. No one will know the difference and it will keep the cost much lower. If you are having 100 guests, have your main cake feed 60 and two sheet cakes for the overage.

SAVE: Favors. This is a true DIY project that can be done with a few friends and a few glasses of wine! My Wedding Favors has a large selection and great prices. If you are giving candy to your guests, check out Groovy Candies or Candy Warehouse to buy in bulk.

SPLURGE: Shoes. We are not suggesting Manolo Blahnik’s prices but purchasing a good pair of shoes is not a waste. You will get a lot more use out of a more expensive pair and looking down at them whenever you wear them will remind you of your wedding day.

SAVE: The Dress. You have numerous options now for wedding dresses. From discount places such as David’s Bridal or Lily Wedding, you do not have to pay thousands for designer dresses to look absolutely beautiful. If you are not one to be deeply attached to your wedding dress, another option is renting. Men have been renting tuxedos forever and now that same convenience is available to brides. You may have to take extra time to find what works for you but if your heart is set on Vera Wang, you can have the option to wear one of her designs without breaking the bank.    

I love watching Bridezilla’s with my husband. It makes for great conversation when the women start growing horns and lashing out. That little show has spawned the hubby’s desire to contribute to our blog. So we bring to you:

“Your Fiancé Is Getting Married Too!” by: Shakir Gill

It’s not YOUR wedding, it’s OUR wedding…

Too often when I hear women speaking about their upcoming weddings I hear the word “my”. I understand this day is typically thought to be for the brides but you aren’t getting married to yourself. On the other side of you is someone who should be considered and included when you are sharing the details of the wedding. We may not talk about the event as much as you but we are just as excited and would appreciate hearing the word “our” more.

The first thing I tell couples planning for an outdoor wedding, have a contingency plan. On the day of you may struggle with anything from intense heat to rain to a bug infestation. Below you will get some tips that will help you prepare for a pleasant outdoor event.

Think about your guests. If you know it is going to be warm-hot season, consider having the ceremony in the evening around sunset. This time of day will not only make for beautiful pictures, your guests will thank you.

Have plenty of water and fans on hand. Check with your caterer on providing water bottles. If their price is too high, just stop by your local grocery store and grab several cases. Make your fans two-fold and have them double as programs. This is a great DIY project or you can have them professionally done if you want one less thing to worry about.

Book a venue that has an option to move your ceremony and reception indoors if it becomes necessary. If you are insistent on being outside, factor in the price of a tent just in case. Tents can be used in cases of light to moderate rain.



Check your surroundings. An outdoor wedding can encounter wind and loud onlookers. To work around that, make sure your DJ will be able to provide a sound system that can broadcast above the potential noise level. Also, when you are doing your walk-thru, look around for an adequate number of outlets.

Eeek… bugs! No one will be able to concentrate on enjoying the event if they are worried about being attacked by bugs. Ask the venue to spray bug repellent around the ceremony and reception sites one or two days in advance. Consider purchasing non-scent repellents that can be placed around the perimeter, out of site.

Select a menu that holds well in the heat. Consulting with your caterer is best and ask them their game plan for working with items that need to be kept cold.

I am in the process of helping my sister-in-law plan her wedding, and like with most event planning, we are trying to stick to our budget without skimping on the most important aspects of the day.  As many of you know, have recently discovered, or are soon to find out, it’s really difficult to plan when you don’t know how much of your budget should be allocated to certain items, what is the max you can spend on an item and still keep your budget in tact, and what you can leave out altogether.  Believe me, we need all the help we can get. 

Though there are some helpful pointers out there–Brides.com even has a budget advisor to help you stay on track– what I’ve found to be most useful is a simple word document my partner sent to me.  This document is the same budget offered by about.com and gives a monetary and percentage breakdown of your total budget.  This is particularly helpful when meeting with vendors who may try to tack on a bunch of extras you may not have even thought about, let alone factored into your budget.  While the document doesn’t give an itemized breakdown for the entire budget like the budget advisor at Brides.com, the overall amount given in the section breakdown gives you your max allotment while allowing you the freedom to customize the section expenditure based on your particular preferences.  Plus, you will be able to tweak the document according to your own needs (i.e. either adding/removing sections or including an actual cost slot to compare what you paid with your budget projection.  Not bad for those of you who like a little independence in your planning. 

Since I find it such a helpful tool, I’m betting some of you will too.  So, if you’d like a copy of this word document for your own planning purposes, just contact us at info@showersblog.com and request a copy of the Sample Wedding Budget.  Plus, if you’ve found some helpful tools or tips of your own, feel free to share. 

Some other helpful budget spreadsheets: Real Simple Budget, Your Wedding Company, and of course The Knot